Darkness in Albion
by Dead Bones Sam
Summary: Merlin has lost so many friends in the war only to learn that it is only the beginning. When creatures of chaos and violence come from across the veil its up to Merlin to stand in their way to defend Albion, with help from an old ally long thought lost. WARNING TAKES PLACE AFTER SEASON 5 M rating for future entries
1. Chapter 1

**SPOILER WARNING! BE WARNED!**

I want you all to know that this fiction will take place **AFTER** the final episode of Merlin which was Season 5 episode 13 The Day of Diamond part 2. If you don't want to read this because you haven't seen the episode yet here's a link where you can find it, if you don't care either way then enjoy!

/2012/12/24/merlin-season-5-episode-13-the-diamond-of-the-day-part-2/

Chapter 1: The Final Warning

Kilgharrah lied on the ground panting heavily as he landed from his flight; he had just flown away from Merlin and Arthur's corpse after leaving them at the Isles of Avalon. He told Merlin the truth about Arthur's death, that in Albion's greatest need Arthur will rise again to fulfill his destiny, and although he knew that Merlin was conflicted and hurting that he would heed his words. Kilgharrah closed his eyes in hopes of sleep, but the pain within his chest would not allow him the comfort of a good night's sleep. The Great Dragon laughed morbidly to himself and thought, _Here I am, one of the last of a proud, strong and noble breed pained by flying two humans barely 10 leagues. _He chuckled morbidly again, knowing it wasn't him aiding Merlin that had brought the pain. No it was the inevitability of old age finally catching up to him. Even among other Dragons Kilgharrah would be considered old; he had survived many centuries after his hatching alone and had little contact with his own kind. His only regret was that he hadn't found any other Dragons out of Camelot, but he hadn't the strength for such consuming flights and he knew he had to be close by in case Merlin ever called him. At the thought of the young warlock the Dragon's pain lessoned as he thought of what he was going through. Kilgharrah felt bad for not telling him the eventuality of Arthur's death, but he had warned him that if left alive Mordred would deal the killing blow. He felt Merlin's pain through their link together as spiritual brothers but there was nothing he could do. In Kilgharrah's weakened state he doubted he could rise from his spot lest of all fly to the dragon lord's side. Kilgharrah sighed and knew that his time in the world of the living was coming to an end. Finally after what seemed like another lifetime sleep finally came to the Dragon but it was anything but pleasant.

_Merlin running through the forest, a dark shadow accompanying him running at his glowing side._

_*FLASH*_

_Monsters and Demons from across the veil crossing into the land of the living, their species un notable._

_*FLASH*_

_Merlin still accompanied by the darkness holding the demons at bay using strong magic of the Old Religion._

_*FLASH*_

_An aged Merlin and a strange aged woman wearing clothes never before seen, a device passing them at tremendous speeds._

_*FLASH*_

_The Isles of Avalon stirs as a form begins to rise._

Kilgharrah woke up in a flash his ancient golden eyes inflicted by the pain of his vision. He tried to get up from his lying position but realized he hadn't the energy to do it. Looking up passed the trees he saw that the sun was already setting, for what he knew he had slept for at least an entire day if not two. The vision haunted the Dragon, he knew not what it meant for Merlin but knew he had to contact him. Kilgharrah tried futilely again to raise his body but to no avail. Closing his eyes he concentrated what little magic he had left to shout a deafening cry with his mind:

_Merlin, you must come to me…. I do not have much time please hurry!_ As soon as the final words left his mind Kilgharrah felt himself slip into darkness once more, this time his sleep was much more gratifying but not any more pleasant. The vision returned to him again this time with an even more intense ferocity. The monsters that were un noticeable before now clear, dangerous demons that even the strongest of Dragons would fear, the darkness beside Merlin still accompanied him but it could be told that it was assisting Merlin in some way. The Darkness of the creature and the light surrounding Merlin somehow familiar but Kilgharrah is unable to recall it in his weakened state. When the vision finally dissolved Kilgharrah was drained entirely by the toll the vision had claimed. He lied in darkness for an eternity. Cold, non-feeling. He heard a voice- a far off voice muttering something unintelligible, he ignores it. Then the sound returned again, louder less muffled; Kilgharrah thought he felt something touch his flank but knew it not to be true. Suddenly a warmth enveloped Kilgharrah as he began to stir, he was about to resist when he heard an all too familiar voice call out that he couldn't refuse.

"_O drakon, e male so ftengometta tesd'hup'anankes!" (O dragon, permit the appeal for an audience to speak here, fierce, wise-minded one.)_

Kilgharrah's eyes opened instantly as he took in a hard, labored breath he looked down and saw Merlin in front of him, slightly better dressed than usual, channeling magic into his body to restore a portion of his energy. The Dragon smiled tiredly not raising his body and said, "Merlin, you have no idea how glad I am to see you."

"I came as soon as I heard your call are you all right?" Kilgharrah moaned and finally managed to raise his body off the ground into a labored standing position. He may be dying but he needed to look strong for Merlin's sake.

"I am better thanks to you, but that was not the reason I called you here,"

"Then what's wrong?" Merlin asked worriedly. Kilgharrah looked at Merlin with a deep look of regret and sorrow. He did not wish to put him through any more pain but there was no other choice and no one else he could turn to.

"I am afraid that I have grave news, news I wish I didn't have to give you Merlin."

"What do you mean what's happened? Merlin asked fear etching into his voice. Kilgharrah looked at him with intense remorse as he recited the vision that he had foreseen the nights before, each detail widening Merlin's eyes. He waited for Kilgharrah to finish, hoping for a silver lining somewhere but was obviously disappointed when there was none.

"What was the shadow you told me about? Why was it following me?" Merlin asked trying to make up some part of the Dragon's vision, but Kilgharrah simply shook his head.

"I am sorry young warlock but I know little more than you do. Unlike most prophecies, I am afraid I do not have the time to unravel its mysteries."

"Wait what do you mean your out of time?" Merlin demanded, his voice cracked for he obviously knew the answer but did not wish to accept it. Kilgharrah sighed sadly as he bent his head down to Merlin's level.

"It is as I said before, I am old. And all living things must eventually return to the Earth, creatures of the old religion are no different."

"But you can't leave me!" Merlin pleaded tears forming in his eyes, "Not now, not when I need you the most!"

"Merlin," Kilgharrah started sadly looking at Merlin directly in his tear filled eyes he was about to continue when Merlin continued.

"Who am I to turn to if I need help? You've always had the answers for me Kilgharrah, I may not have always liked them but I realize now that you were always right." Kilgharrah closed his eyes clearing the haze that was attempting to conquer his mind. When he reopened his eyes Merlin flinched.

"Kilgharrah, your eyes! They stopped glowing for half a second, what's happening?"

"I am afraid I have less time than I had hoped Merlin," Kilgharrah stated. He noted the look of concern and worry on Merlin's face and knew he had to make the rest of their final visit count.

"Merlin listen to me, I am not and will not be the only place you receive aid. When this horrid prophecy comes to existence the great powers of the old religion, powers equally as powerful as Dragons, will feel it and will fight against it to maintain their hold of power in the living world. Some will help you willingly while others may scorn your help but regardless, whenever you require aid they will become available to you."

"But how?" Merlin asked now confused by the Dragon's words. Kilgharrah said nothing for what seemed like hours as he looked up to the sky. He then gave a rare smile as he looked back down to Merlin.

"You never realize how beautiful the world is Merlin, until your about to leave it for good,"

"Kilgharrah please-"Merlin started but he was immediately interrupted.

"Merlin I have but one final gift to give you, and as the last Dragon Lord only you are the only one I can, and would, give it to." Merlin stared at Kilgharrah as he raised himself to his full height any sign of exhaustion from before was forced from the Dragon's expression as he looked down at Merlin as he always did to him: wisely and with power. Kilgharrah took a deep breath and exhaled the magic into Merlin, Merlin recognized the sensation as when Kilgharrah had taught him the spells to entrap Cornelius Sigan's soul into a crystal and when he had forced him to teach him how to heal Morgana, but this was on an entirely different level. Kilgharrah wasn't simply giving Merlin a few spells, he was pouring the very essence of his knowledge into him, not memories but straight decisive knowledge coursing through his mind. Merlin's magic flared at the on flow of knowledge, his eyes glowing brightly as the flow finally ceased. Merlin put his hands to his head to prevent it from exploding, it took a few minutes but the utter pain was reduced to a seemingly painful headache.

"I have done all that I can for you my Dragon Lord, all that I know is now at your disposal. Merlin looked up and was shocked to see that Kilgharrah's eyes no longer had the glow of magic in them. When he pointed this out to him he merely laughed humorlessly as he lied down on his legs.

"Yes Merlin I know, my knowledge and power will do little good to anyone when I am dead." Kilgharrah lied his neck and head down as his body laxed as the stress immediately left him.

"So this is it then?" Merlin asked in a strangely calm tone. Kilgharrah looked at Merlin and saw tears freely flowing from his eyes. Kilgharrah was genuinely touched by the concern Merlin was showing him. After everything he had put Merlin through the child, no, the_ man_,could still see him with any form of kindness.

"Do not cry for me Merlin, it is the way it must be," he said softly. Merlin wiped at his eyes and said,

"I've either lost or am losing two of my greatest friends, it's not easy," he joked badly with a small grin. Kilgharrah returned the grin and said, "Tell me how things fair in Camelot Merlin, that will get your mind off of things."

"Well," Merlin started, "They held the funeral for Arthur a few days ago, well it was mostly for Arthur, but for the knights that died fighting the Saxons as well."

"They fought bravely I'm sure, their enemies would not fight fairly." Kilgharrah stated his eye lids beginning to droop. Merlin noticed this but continued to speak of Camelot.

"Arthur's wife Gwen, she found out that I'm a sorcerer. I figure Gaius must have said something but it isn't all bad. She offered me the position of court magician, and she's allowing magic to be practiced within Camelot again."

"That is excellent Merlin, our endeavor was not in vain then," Kilgharrah's eyes were nearly shut. He looked at Merlin expectantly and asked, "Do you intend to take the queen on her offer? To be court magician?" Merlin shrugged replying,

"Eventually maybe, there are a few things I want to take care of first."

"Like what young warlock?" Kilgharrah asked, struggling to remain conscious.

"Well the big one is that I want to find Aithusa and try to help her, get her healthy again you know?" At the sound of his wards name Kilgharrah moaned in sadness. He opened his eyes slightly to look up at Merlin.

"Merlin, Aithusa did not deserve what came to her. She is young and already scarred deeply, please promise me you will do your best to protect her. Teach her the ways of our kind." Merlin nodded and said, "I promise Kilgharrah, you have my word." Kilgharrah returned a small, almost unnoticeable nod and said, "That is assuring to hear Merlin," His eyes were nearly closed completely when he barely whispered, "You have been a noble friend to me Merlin, and I hope that… I don't see you too soon in the realm of the dead."

"It will be a much smaller world without you in it, old friend." Kilgharrah managed a small chuckle. He said nothing as his breathing became labored, Merlin simply stayed by him so neither of them would be alone. As Kilgharrah's final breaths were taken he managed to say something in a ragged whisper that Merlin almost didn't hear.

"She is the darkness to your light." As the words left his body so did his final breath. As Kilgharrah's body stilled Merlin stared at the corpse of his friend as the tears freely rolled from his eyes. As he stood up a saying in the Dragon's tongue came to his lips almost instinctually

"_May you forever rest in the hearth of the ancestors,"_ Merlin continued to stare at his friend, not wanting to leave. On a surge of instinct Merlin approached Kilgharrah's corpse and put a hand on his scales. Feeling for a few moments he manages to find a loose one and gently removes it from the body.

_That way you'll always be with me my friend_, he thought to himself. He gave the body a once more look over as his eyes glowed at the use of magic. The body shined for a few moments then seemingly disappeared. He would return one day and give his friend a proper burial, until then he would hide the body where only he could find it, out of harm's way from those who'd defile it. Merlin turned and left to begin the treck back to Camelot. He was slowly running out of allies and he knew that things would get a lot worse before they got better, but he did know that one thing was clear: There was an evil that would threaten Albion, and he'd be damned if he let it happen without a fight.

Thanks for Reading! Please leave reviews I live for those, if anyone has any input please let me know I welcome all CONSTRUCTIVE criticism.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Trouble on the Border

Merlin had made the long trek back to Camelot, he and his horse both were tired and exhausted from the constant riding of the previous few days. Merlin patted the horse's neck affectionately assuring her that she'd have a good long rest once they were back within city walls. Before entering the city limits Merlin looked up towards the sky and considered calling Aithusa, he wanted desperately to help her but there would be a chance that Gwen would recognize her as the Dragon who aided Morgana. Merlin decided against it for the time being and continued onward into the city. As he rode he noticed that most of the citizens were staring at him cautiously. He ignored them but the constant staring did start to get under his skin. The staring ended as he entered the castle's gates, as he rode up he was met by the young stable boy who had replaced Tyr. As Merlin dismounted his horse and handed the boy his reins he said, "Make sure she's well rested and groomed well. She deserves a break." The Stable boy nodded not looking Merlin in the eyes. Merlin left back to Gaius's room, ignoring the stares coming now from the guards of the castle. Something in the back of Merlin's mind told him that everyone was on edge about having a sorcerer in Camelot's halls. Even when Gwen had re allowed magic to be practiced within Camelot's boundaries and offering him the position of court magician after his performance defeating the Saxons no one treated him the same anymore, no one but Gaius anyway. As he entered Gaius's chambers he saw him sitting behind his desk writing something on a slip of parchment. As Merlin shut the door Gaius looked up and gave a relieved smile at seeing Merlin.

"Merlin, thank goodness you're all right," he got up and walked over to Merlin where he embraced him quickly before holding him out at arm's reach.

"What did Kilgharrah need? By the way you ran out of here I'd of thought that he demanded your presence." Merlin walked past Gaius a few steps before looking back at Gaius, his eyes were wet at the mention of his friend but he managed to keep his composure. "Kilgharrah was dying when he called me," Merlin explained. "He had foreseen another prophecy of some kind and relayed it to me before he…" Merlin wasn't able to finish what he was saying but Gaius seemed to know what he meant. They both took a seat at the table as Merlin repeated the vision Kilgharrah had seen to Gaius, he also explained that Kilgharrah had given him his knowledge before dying, causing Gaius to stare at him in shock.

"He gave you all his knowledge at once? That must have been painful."

"It was, in fact I've still got a headache from it Gaius, is that normal?" Gaius was silent as he thought but said finally, "I have heard of some magical creatures sharing knowledge, and we knew it to be possible from experience, but to receive everything."

"He made it sound as though we could be facing the end Gaius." Merlin said worriedly.

"Well if creatures from across the veil are to be fought, it very well could be."

"What lies on the other side of the veil Gaius?" Merlin asked.

"I couldn't tell you Merlin, the only known way for mortals to cross the veil is through death; but it is said that creatures of unimaginable power lie on the other side of the veil many embodying-"

"Embodying the sins of man: Greed, Lust, Wrath and Pride." Merlin responded surprising both himself and Gaius. "Yes that's correct," Gaius continued. "It's unknown exactly how powerful these creatures are but even they are not the strongest, theirs a tier that lies so high that even your power would not be at their level."

"How is that possible?" Merlin asked.

"Again I don't know Merlin, this is all speculation on my end. No man or woman has ever seen these creatures, the High Priests and Priestesses simply warned us of them if the veil was ever to be opened completely."

"You mean like when Morgana summoned the Dorocha?" Merlin suggested.

"To a lesser extent yes, a tear in the veil is nothing in comparison to it being opened completely. A tear only releases weaker beings that the High Priestesses could control to an extent; to open the veil would release beings of worse power that even you would struggle against." Before Merlin could ask another question there was a knock on the door, before either of them had a chance to respond the door opened revealing Sir Leon.

"The Queen has requested your presence in the Main Hall Merlin, when you have a moment." Merlin looked to Gaius who gave a small smile and nodded his head. Merlin then turned to Leon and said,

"Give me a moment to change out of my riding clothes." Merlin changed into one of the elaborate robes Gwen had procured for him when she had offered him the position of Court Magician (seeing that nearly all of his normal clothes had disappeared from when he left days ago); he still was unsure whether or not he should accept the position but decided to hear what the Queen had requested him for. As he followed Leon he noticed that he also refused to look at him. Merlin grew disheartened at this, Leon was one of the few friends he had left if they started to treat him differently now he would scream. They walked in silence to the Main Hall, when they entered they saw Gwen speaking to a number of officials in the court of Camelot. At hearing their entrance Gwen looked up and smiled at Merlin and Leon.

"Ahh Merlin, I am glad to see you returned safely from your trip." Merlin bowed deeply not saying anything knowing he wouldn't need to. Gwen then looked at everyone else in the room and said,

"Leave us, I wish to speak to Merlin privately." The Hall quickly emptied of the officials and the knights guarding the Queen. Leon looked quickly at Merlin, moving only his eyes, before following the others out of the room. Gwen got up from her thrown and walked towards Merlin, as she approached Merlin recognized tear streaks on her face. It was obvious she'd been crying over Arthur when alone, Merlin could only imagine what she was putting herself through.

"I trust your trip went well?" Gwen inquired snapping Merlin back to reality.

"It wasn't a pleasure trip milady I assure you."

"Merlin please, you don't have to ask my permission to do anything I trust you, and please: Gwen not milady." She said the last bit with a small smile that Merlin couldn't help but return.

"Of course Gwen." Merlin responded.

"Can you tell me where you went?" Gwen asked curiously but not imposingly. Merlin hesitated, he trusted Gwen but he wasn't sure how much he wanted to reveal to her about his connection with the Dragon that had nearly destroyed Camelot. So he told her most of the truth.

"An old friend of mine sent a message out to me, I went to hear his final words as he passed away."

"Oh Merlin I'm so sorry," Gwen apologized embracing Merlin, he returned the embrace assuring Gwen he was alright. "He was old Gwen and all living things must eventually return to the Earth." Merlin said repeating what Kilgharrah had told him. Gwen released Merlin and returned to her throne, Merlin following in tow standing in front of her. As she sat down she looked again at Merlin, it was still hard for her to believe that her friend was a powerful sorcerer, but heading the advice Gaius had given her previously she'd refuse to treat him any differently.

"Have you decided whether or not to accept my offer Merlin?" Gwen asked referring to the position of Court Magician. Merlin looked down at his feet for a moment before looking at her saying,

"I'm still not sure Gwen, I just don't feel as if it's the right time for this. I can tell that a lot of your people are still uncomfortable about the change."

"What do you mean Merlin? I'd have thought you of all people would be overjoyed that magic isn't banned." Gwen stated in confusion.

"I am Gwen, and so are all the other sorcerers, witches, druids and others that use magic, but while we're grateful the majority of normal people are still extremely skeptical, the knights have even started giving ME the eye, like I'm about to summon a wraith to kill you or something." Gwen frowned and asked, "Do you want me to speak to them? I don't want them mistreating you. Merlin shook his head.

"No I can handle myself, but I'm afraid that giving any magician in Camelot a high position can be… risky. Not that I wouldn't help you if you ever asked, but as a friend. Not a consultant." Gwen frowned for a minute and stood to walk towards the window Merlin followed her and saw a pained expression on her face. He walked over to stand besides Gwen and noticed that she had a pained expression on her face.

"Merlin there is a situation I need your help with," Gwen started finally not looking at Merlin.

"What is it Gwen?" Gwen looked around the room for a moment and then said to Merlin in a hushed tone, "Can you prevent anyone from hearing us?" Merlin nodded, his eyes instantly glowing as he wordlessly cast a spell to prevent any outside the room to hear them.

"It's done," he said matter of factly. Gwen looked at him impressed and then yelled at the top of her lungs causing Merlin to jump in surprise. When none of the nights came rushing in to aid her she nodded and walked away from the window. Merlin had to withhold making a snide comment about the fact that she doubted his abilities but decided against it, she was still the Queen and even if they were friends there were boundaries.

"I have received reports from trusted scouts that there is someone attacking small towns outside of our borders and taking claim to them as their own lands."

"Whose kingdom are they in?" Merlin asked.

"They're in the lands of Caerleon, led by Queen Annis."

"Queen Annis is a good leader and protector, surely she wouldn't allow this?"

"No she wouldn't. She's sent out a number of soldiers to bring the outlaw into custody but they always get away or defeat the soldiers." Gwen wasn't looking at Merlin and he considered why for a moment when he realized what Gwen was having trouble getting at.

"This person has magic don't they?" Gwen looked up at Merlin and nodded solemnly.

"And that's why you wanted me to be the Court Magician, to- track down this rouge sorcerer?"

"Merlin I just lifted the ban off of practicing magic in Camelot," Gwen argued. "If someone abuses that right within a week of the ban's lift then they need to be brought to justice."

"But they're in Annis's kingdom, we don't have any right to interfere there." Merlin pointed out.

"Normally no, but Annis specifically requested aid from Camelot in any way we could, they'll be tried in Calreon for their crimes but if they make it into Camelot's borders then it very well will be the lot of our problems." Merlin sighed and rubbed the ache on his forehead from the knowledge passed onto him, before he did anything he'd have to calm his mind.

"When do you need me to leave Gwen?" he asked. Gwen relaxed visibly and grabbed a scroll on a nearby table and handed it to him. "Leave as soon as you are ready but the sooner the better. You will pass through the city of Caerleon first on your way there. Show this scroll to any of the guards and they will aid and supply you with anything you may need." Merlin took the scroll from Gwen who put her other hand on top of Merlin's gratefully.

"Thank you Merlin, I owe you a debt to be repaid." Merlin smiled as his eyes glowed again releasing the spell placed around the room. "Don't worry about it Gwen, that's what friends are for." He turned to leave and headed out of the Main Hall to make it back to the Physician's quarters. When he arrived Gaius was at the table with plates of food awaiting Merlin.

"I'm guessing Guinevere told you about Caerleon?" Gaius asked digging into the food. Merlin nodded taking a seat across from him. He began to eat slowly as his head began to hurt again. Getting aggravated he got up and stormed towards the bookshelf where he found several large books with empty pages. Gaius looked at Merlin as if he'd grown another head and asked, "What are you going to do with those?" Merlin had his eyes closed as his mind settled on a spell to help his situation.

"Hopefully get rid of this bloody head ache." He opened his eyes and laid out the books in front of him. _"Write þás gelicnesse ond afæstne þa þæm clute þa"(Copy the words to ease my mind) _he uttered as his eyes glowed from his use of magic. The first book opened and the pages began flipping frantically at an unbeknown speed. As soon as the first book flipped completely and shut itself the second one repeated the process and then again as the third book open. He only managed to fill up half of the third book but his head and mind felt instantly better after completing the spell.

"Merlin what did you do?" Gaius inquired standing up to examine the books. Merlin smiled and handed the first book to Gaius, he looked at his ward quizzically before opening the book and was shocked to see that it was detailed in extent on a number of high level spells and enchantments. The other book involved information on magical creatures and creatures on the other side of the veil, that was the book that failed to be filled completely.

"Merlin these books all have around 900 pages, and you easily filled most of them up with small printed words!"

"Try having that all entrapped in your head," Merlin said rubbing his head gratefully.

"How are you going to find anything in these books though Merlin?" Merlin gave Gaius a confused look and turned to the front of the first book. "I put a table of content Gaius," he said teasingly with a smile. Gaius couldn't help but release a smile and a hearty laugh. He slapped Merlin on the back of the head playfully as he walked back to the dinner table. He then turned back to look at Merlin with a more serious look on his face.

"You must be careful now though Merlin, I'm assuming that most of these spells were long forgotten to all but the most powerful Priests and Priestesses. You should have some sort of protection placed on these books to prevent others from using them." Merlin frowned and nodded in agreement with Gaius. Going to the newly written book of spells he examined the table of content and turned through hundreds of pages looking for the desired spell. On finding the page needed he read through it thoroughly until he remembered the incantation. He then shut the book and said,_ "Zapridik ea' panlo!" _The book glowed blue for several moments and then faded away leaving a normal book. Merlin then looked and Gaius and said. "Try to touch the book." Gaius looked at Merlin quizzically and reached for the book the moment his hand touched the leather he instantly recoiled taking his hand back followed by a thin streak of lightning. Merlin laughed at Gaius's misfortune when he repeated the same spell over the final two books. As Merlin finished Gaius examined his hand relieved to see there was no damage done he looked up at Merlin and asked, "What did you do to those books?"

"I put a defensive spell around the books," Merlin explained. "If anyone but me touches the books without my permission they get zapped, the more evil the intent of the person trying to gain access the more it hurts." To prove his point Merlin put his hands on each of the books without being harmed.

"You have my permission now to touch the books Gaius, they won't zap you now," Gaius hesitantly reached for the first book and was relieved when he opened it without being attacked. As he skimmed through the books he shook his head at all the spells now in Merlin's head.

"So you remember these spells still yes?" he asked. Merlin nodded

"Yeah having everything go through my mind at once eased all of its senseless jumbling, go ahead quiz me." Gaius nodded flipping randomly through the book he found a seemingly harmless spell and said, "Ok, what is the spell that let's your mind control an inanimate object?" Merlin closed his eyes for a few seconds; he then opened his eyes and looked at the chair at the far end of the room. His eyes glowing the chair walked on its legs towards Gaius and bowed, it then reverted back to normal. Gaius nodded satisfied and put the book down on the table.

"So when do you plan to leave Merlin?" Gaius asked, more solemnly this time. Merlin sat across from him at the table, the same morbid look on his face as Gaius. "I'm planning to leave tomorrow, it'll be at least a 3 day ride to reach Caelreon but I want to call upon Aithusa, so it'll probably be a four or five day trip." Gaius nodded, not saying anything for a few moments as they ate in silence. When they finished Merlin got up to clear the plates as he put them in the water to wash them. It was late by the time Merlin and Gaius had gone through the things Merlin may need on his trip. He had blankets, a water skin, a number of apples and minor food supplies, a bag of gold coins (compliments of Gwen) the book and a half referring to mystical creatures and creatures from beyond the veil and 2 of his magical staffs. The one he had received from defeating the banished Sidhe so many years ago and the one he used to defeat the Saxons in his final battle with Arthur. He finally fell asleep late into the night when something odd happened, without the aid of the Crystal of Neatid, he had a prophecy. It was familiar as to what Kilgharrah had for warned him of but there was one significant difference:

_Merlin running through the forest, a dark shadow accompanying him running at his glowing side._

_*FLASH*_

_Monsters and Demons from across the veil crossing into the land of the living, their species un notable._

_*FLASH*_

_Merlin still accompanied by the darkness holding the demons at bay using strong magic of the Old Religion._

_*FLASH*_

_An aged Merlin and an unknown familiar aged woman wearing clothes never before seen, a device passing them at tremendous speeds._

_*FLASH*_

_The Isles of Avalon stirs as a form begins to rise._

_*FLASH*_

_Merlin falls weakened, staff out of reach for use. Demon approaches him preparing final kill, a familiar unusual woman's voice calling out to him in fear and worry_

"_MERLIN!"_

Merlin awoke in a sweat, it was a first time receiving a prophecy without the Crystal's aid and it was unenjoyable. He woke up, nothing on but his breeches. He gets up to find his old pair of clothes on the table at the side of his bed. Merlin smiles realizing Gaius had hid them, he quickly changes into his more comfortable attire when he notices Kilgharrah's scale on his desk almost beckoning to him. He picks it up and looks at it longingly for a few minutes. Finally he leaves his room and finds a small sturdy chain in one of Gaius's cabinets. Putting the chain atop the Dragon scale Merlin's eyes glowed at his use of magic, the chain quickly dissolved into the scale, leaving no embellishments on entry over the scale. He smiles as he puts the chain over his head as a necklace, tucking the scale under his scarf to prevent it from being seen. As he exits the Physician's quarters and walks out into the court yard he sees Gaius and Gwen waiting for him with the same horse he had ridden the past few days. He smiled sadly and sad he wouldn't ride the poor thing so hard this time if he could help it. As he approached his friend and mentor Gwen noticed him and gave him a smile.

"Merlin, I expect you are prepared for your journey?" she asked, putting on the show of acting royally for the guards and citizens in the court yard. Merlin bowed before speaking and said,

"Yes milady, I hope to resolve the matter in Queen Annis's land as soon as possible. I promise you I will do all within my power to resolve this issue." Satisfied with his answer Gwen nodded and did the un queenly act of hugging Merlin. "Do be safe Merlin, I don't want anything to happen to you." She whispered in his ear.

"I'll be careful Gwen, I promise." She pulled away and nodded and returned towards the palace with her escort of guards surrounding her. Gaius approached Merlin next and they to embraced. They let it linger though before Gaius finally pulled away.

"Do promise me you won't do anything stupid Merlin." Gaius said worriedly to his ward. Merlin gave him one of his infamous goofy smiles and said, "Come on Gaius, when have I ever done something stupid?" Gaius couldn't help but laugh as he gave Merlin one more affectionate pat on his arm and said, "Be careful Merlin, do come home to us in one piece," Merlin nodded embracing his mentor one last time. When they separated Merlin walked towards his horse and pet it affectionately on the back.

"Ready for another journey girl?" he asked. The horse gave Merlin a whinny that almost sounded as if it was upset about being required to move so soon. "Not to worry girl, we'll take it nice and easy." Merlin mounted the horse and slowly trotted out of the castle's courtyard on to the trail to Caerleon. He looked back to see Gaius waving his farewell to him, which he returned affectionately. Once out of the city limits he urged the horse onward to what would turn out as the beginning of his next adventure.

AN: I just wanted to thank everyone for the reviews and the comments, to everyone who wasn't a guest I sent you all replies and I'll try to continue doing so. So please keep reviewing and I'll keep writing! I'll get the next one done ASAP, thanks again!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 The Witch's Onslaught

Merlin had been traveling to Caerleon at a slow pace, not wanting to exhaust the old mare he had been riding. He decided on calling her Honey, not for her hair color which was a majestic black, but because she was a sweet horse Merlin had bonded with. He had traveled on the path towards Annis's kingdom with little excitement on the road. He ran into few people along the road but the ones he did meet were kind and greeted him kindly. Merlin smiled, no one knew who he was out of Camelot and they weren't wary of him for having magic. It was nice for things to feel normal again; he almost turned around to make a smart remark towards his king to start their friendly banter. Almost. He was running out of friends and people he could trust. Arthur was killed, Kilgharrah had died from old age; the only people who were left to him were Gaius and Gwen, and Gwen had to put the needs of Camelot above all else. Leaving only Gaius to whom he could confide to freely. His mind then drifted to Aithusa, the young Dragon who had befriended Morgana. She was alone to right now, her mentor and only friend both dead. Looking around the path Merlin rode Honey off the path and into a grove of trees well-guarded from wavering eyes. Dismounting from Honey Merlin looked up into the sky and called, "_O drakon, e male so ftengometta tesd'hup'anankes!" _Merlin sat down besides Honey knowing it would take the young Dragon awhile to reach him, she was after all not nearly as large or fast as Kilgharrah was. After waiting about 20 minutes Merlin hears a shriek from above, he looks up and sees Aithusa circling around the area. He calms Honey down as the young Dragon lands not far from Merlin's position. Once he was sure that the horse wouldn't run off he approached Aithusa. As he approached he noticed that she was slightly bigger than the last time he'd seen her, he reaches out his hand and rubs the length of her neck. Aithusa hummed at the gesture obviously enjoying it.

"How are you Aithusa? Have you been well?" Merlin asked. Aithusa didn't answer with words but with a few small roars and moans. Merlin sighed sadly, Aithusa was still unable to speak. He had thought that Morgana put a spell on her to control her and somehow harming her growth. Apparently if this was the case killing Morgana did not resolve the issue. He continued to just give the young Dragon attention as she primed happily.

"You must have been lonely lately haven't you?" Merlin asked. Aithusa nodded and let out a shriek as if she was trying to speak but no words came out. Merlin nodded understandingly and said, "I know I haven't been there for you the last few years Aithusa but I'd like to make things right between us." Merlin saddened for a moment as he said "Kilgharrah died a few days ago Aithusa, he wanted me to make sure you were well cared for." At hearing her old mentor's name Aithusa let out a sad cry in mourning as Merlin comforted her best he could. "Don't worry Aithusa, I'll be here for you from now on," Merlin assured. Aithusa responded by nuzzling Merlin's chest. He patted her head and looked at her face. The reddening around her eyes and scales were slowly disappearing and she looked healthier, which was a good thing he assumed. "I'm looking for a dangerous person in the next kingdom, do you want to help?" Aithusa replied with a happy yelp and jumped placing her front legs on Merlin's shoulders. He couldn't help but laugh as he refrained from falling over.

"Fly above me and keep out of sight ok? If I need help I'll call you." Aithusa responded by leaping into the air and flying around Merlin's location. Merlin smiled as he mounted Honey, the mare whinnied profusely not enjoying the presence of the young Dragon flying above. As they progressed Aithusa continued to follow from a safe distance high in the sky out of sight from anyone without magic. It wasn't long until Merlin reached the borders of Caerleon he noticed that there were a great number of guards at the entrance to the city. Before Merlin could get to close he was intercepted by one of the guards, his hand resting on the hilt of his undrawn sword.

"Halt there stranger! You are not from Caerleon, state your business or be gone from here!" The guard exclaimed. Merlin reached into his pack and pulled out the scroll that Gwen had given him.

"I am here by orders of the Queen of Camelot to send aid to Queen Annis, this scroll should prove I do not lie." The soldier took the scroll from Merlin and unrolled it reading it quickly. Nodding he handed the scroll back to Merlin and said, "Follow me I will take you to the Queen, she will wish to speak to you." Merlin nodded as he followed the soldier into the city. As they passed the other soldiers at the gate they gave Merlin a look that he was unable to decipher. As they progress through Caerleon Merlin notices that there is an obscene amount of guards positioned in the city, when he asked the guard he sighed and said, "The witch that's attacking our cities does it quickly and in an instant, we hope that the amount of guards posted will keep her from attacking major cities."

"So it's a woman then, attacking the villages?" Merlin asked.

"That's what I was told, Queen Annis will be able to tell you more." Merlin nodded and followed the knight into the Castle's Courtyard. Unlike Camelot's castle and courtyard they did not have a homey appearance, they were rather plain but grand in design. Merlin dismounted and left Honey to the stable boy who promised to remain at her side until he reclaimed her. Merlin gave his thanks as he continued to follow the knight into the castle. The main chamber was on the main floor of the castle near the entrance, unlike Camelot's where it was on one of the higher floors. The knight instructed Merlin to wait a moment while he announced his appearance to the queen. Merlin nodded as the knight left him. A few moments passed when the knight returned opening the door.

"Queen Annis will see you now," Merlin nodded and followed the knight in. As he approached the Queen he noticed that a number of knights were on each side of her throne. Annis was sitting on her throne and had the regal air of a seasoned ruler, she also had a look of amusement at seeing Merlin presented in front of her. As Merlin approached he knelt on one knee and said, "Queen Annis I was sent by Queen Guinevere of Camelot to help aid you in your time of need." Queen Annis didn't say anything for a few moments until finally she said in an amused tone, "Your King Arthur's servant aren't you?"

"Yes I was milady," Merlin said still kneeling.

"Yes, I had heard of Arthur's death at the battle of Camlyn. You and your Queen have my condolences, but tell me; why does the Queen of Camelot believes that you are aid enough to help Caerleon?" Merlin looked up at the Queen and said with a straight face, "I am the apprentice of the sorcerer who defeated the Saxons, everything he can do I can at a lesser degree." Annis sat up straighter.

"You are the Sorcerer's apprentice? The one who decimated the Saxon army and turned back the Dragon?" she asked all serious.

"I am," Merlin said plainly. He and Gaius had decided it would be best if he kept his identity of Emrys a secret, all the Queen needed to know was that he was a powerful sorcerer; and in all honesty she did not seem disappointed. Queen Annis stood and ushered for Merlin to do the same as she led him towards a large table with a map, red x's placed on several city names on the borders. "I admit I did not expect Guinevere to send a magician to aid me, but if you are half the sorcerer of your master then I'd be a fool to turn away such aid." She gestured to the map on the table with the several x's. "This is a map of the cities in Caerleon, and these crossed off have been attacked and conquered by this witch.

"Why would the witch attack your lands, have you wronged her in some way?" Merlin asked.

"I have never met nor heard of this woman before nor why she would attack my lands." Annis replied curtly. Merlin looked back at the map to try to gauge why the witch would have attacked the conquered cities. The cities were separated many leagues from each other, it should have taken the witch a week to travel between each city but she managed to conquer them in 3 days appearing in each land as if by magic.

"So I am to confront the witch? What would you have me do?" Merlin asked.

"I want this woman to be brought in for questioning, use force if you must but do what you can to take her alive." Annis ordered. Merlin nodded and asked if she knew the witches current location. She shook her head but said that there were rumors that she would attack the city of Tornac next.

"Are there any guards in Tornac?" Merlin asked. Annis nodded.

"As many as I can spare but I must leave the bulk of my forces in the major cities, if they fall then my lands could soon be controlled by a mad woman."

"I will not allow that to happen milady," Merlin assured. "I will break for Tornac at dawn. In the mean time I would like to rest, I will need my strength if I am to confront this witch." Annis called in the guard who had escorted him to the castle. She then turned to Merlin and said, "Laurence will take you to one of the guest rooms in the castle. If there is anything you need he will fetch it for you immediately."

"You are very generous milady," Merlin said with a small bow, but Annis waved the compliment aside.

"If you can bring the witch to me it is the least I can do, I will make sure you are not disturbed for the night sorcerer and I wish you luck." Merlin bowed again before following the night, Laurence, to his room. Once they reach the room Laurence opens the large double doors revealing a large, simple room with a large bed and other furniture armaments.

"Will there be anything else you need sir?" Laurence asked. Merlin had to stifle a smile, no one let alone a knight had ever called him sir before. Merlin kept his straight face while he responded to the knight.

"Well actually if a meal could be brought up I'd appreciate it,"

"Of course, I'll have one of the servants fetch you some supper. Anything else you'll need?" Merlin then proceeded to list off just a few provisions he'd need to replenish his stock: a few fruits and vegetables, a few days' worth of dried meat and for Honey's saddle to be restocked with tack and feed. Laurence nodded and left to heed Merlin's request. He shut the door and smiled for a moment, he could get used to the special treatment. He put down his sack and lied on the bed for a few moments. It was surprisingly soft despite its appearance. Merlin then looked to his sack and said, _"Onhríne achtung bregdan (Bring it to me quickly),"_ With a glow from his eyes the spell book lifts from his bag and floats into Merlin's possession. He turns to the table of content and looks for a spell to send a message across long distances, after searching for a few moments he finds one that is suitable. He heads towards one of the desks in the room and looks for a few seconds before finding some parchment, a quill and a container of ink. Dipping the quill in the ink Merlin begins writing a quick note:

_Dear Gaius,_

_Made it to Caerleon safely heading to Tornac to confront witch at dawn. _

_Tell Gwen all is well. Merlin._

As he walks towards a window he begins rolling the letter up and tying it with a small piece of string from within his pocket. He opens the window and searches until he sees a sparrow nesting not far from him. He entices the bird to approach him while holding the letter out to it.

"_Fleoge þu swa swa se windræs grimsaþ."_ As he finishes tying the note the bird flies off in the direction Merlin hopes is Camelot. Just as he shuts the window he hears a knock at the door, he opens it to see a serving boy holding a tray. He comes in hurriedly and sets the tray on the table revealing a plate of meat and vegetables fit for a king. He thanks the boy for the meal as he leaves and eats it quickly then getting to bed. When he awoke early the next morning he notices the supplies he requested were on the table. He grabbed the new pack along with his, and removed the sidhe staff from his pack. He returned the spell book into his pack and proceeded out of the room with his staff in hand. He walked down the hallway and down the flight of stairs until he reached the main floor, after a few moments of looking Merlin saw Laurence speaking to another knight at the castles entrance. Laurence saw Merlin approach and left the other knight to meet him.

"I trust you slept well sir? I thought you'd want to sleep a while longer before I sent a servant for you." Merlin shook his head saying, "No, thank you, but I'm fine thanks. I'm ready to head to Tornac. Could you tell me which way to go?"

"Tornac is a few hours walk North of Caerleon it's a straight shot from here so don't take any turns. We'd suggest not riding out to the town though, it may draw attention to yourself."

"Have you fought this witch before?" Merlin asked.

"No. But we've lost a lot of good men to that heathen." Laurence said bluntly with an edge to his voice. Merlin put his hand on Laurence's shoulder assuringly and said, "Don't worry, I'll do everything in my power to defeat this witch." Laurence nodded in thanks and clasped Merlin's arm before walking off. Merlin then walked out of the castle and headed in the path to Tornac. He looked up to the sky and was pleased to see Aithusa still flying above him. He considered calling her down when he heard shouts coming from Caerleon, knights were swarming into the city and Merlin noticed that a building had caught fire. He rushed back to the city to see civilians desperately trying to put the fire out with water from the wells while the knights were running frantically trying to find the source of the fire. Merlin approached a knight yelling orders and yelled over the panic,

"What's going on?"

"I'd be damned if I knew!" the knight roared. "One minute everything's fine and the next we've got buildings on fire!"

"What started the fire?" Merlin asked.

"I'm not sure but it definitely wasn't a natur- GET DOWN!" The knight pushed Merlin down and out of the way just as a large ball of fire was sent flying at the two of them. As Merlin gets up he helps the knight, giving his thanks, while the knight rages, "WHERE THE HELL'D IT COME FROM!?"

"The witch must be somewhere in Caerleon! Rally the other knights and guard the Castle, I'll handle the sorcerer." Without waiting to see if the knight would follow his instructions Merlin raced off in the direction the fire had come from. As he runs he notices more and more homes and structures catching aflame, there's no way that the people will put them out in time. Looking u to the sky Merlin chanted,

"_Tídrénas."_ Clouds magically appeared over the city as a steady rain fell from the clouds dousing the fires. The citizens looked in awe as a number of them cheered in joy and relief.

"Everyone get to safety now! Head to the castle!" Merlin called out to the villagers, as they all run a dark menacing voice cackles. The laugh seems to be coming from all directions, done magically so Merlin couldn't find the witch.

"Well well well, there's a sorcerer here today, will you play with me _boy?_"

"Where are you? Show yourself," Merlin demanded turning in a circle with his staff in front of him. The witch cackles again as another burst of fire erupts from behind Merlin. Merlin reacts quickly, he turns around sticking the front end of his staff towards the oncoming blast and yells, _"Brimstréam!"_ Usually the spell would have simply created a jet of water that would have intercepted the fire, but used with the sidhe staff the spell was intensely more powerful. A mini tidal wave appeared extinguishing the fire and coursing through where the spell had materialized from, the witch yelled in shock as the water swept her away. Merlin approached and saw an older woman (now soaking wet) in between a dark alley Merlin hadn't seen earlier. The witch scowls at Merlin and then at his staff.

"No fair! You can't fight with a staff when I don't have one!"

"You are the witch that has been attacking cities in these lands, the Queen has asked me to bring you into custody." Merlin said ignoring the witch's complaint. "Come quietly and I'll try to convince the Queen to be lenient on you."

"You think you're a match for me boy? Fine, let's have some fun! _Forbearnan firgenholt!"_ Merlin jerked as he heard the buildings to his sides creek, he looked to see the buildings on both side of him fall in atop of him. With a flash of his eyes the debris managed to avoid Merlin, he looked around but the witch had vanished. Merlin cursed as he ran out in search of the witch, he couldn't see the witch but her hackling could still be heard all around. Merlin kept his guard up as he tried to find the witch, her cackling made it hard for him to focus and disoriented where she could be. He then heard a sound from behind him he turned quickly to see the witch rushing at him with a knife. Without uttering a word Merlin sent her flying into some rubble, as he went to approach the witch he was then attacked by another lob of fire coming from above. Reacting just in time Merlin managed to throw up a shield to block the attack, but somehow the witch was on the roof of a house now. Merlin looked back to the rubble and saw that she had indeed moved somehow onto the roof. Turning his head turned out to be a mistake for by the time he returned his view to the witch she had launched segments of the roof at him. Forgoing magic Merlin tried to jump out of the way of the flying debris, he managed to avoid most of it but a sharp bit of wood and stone hit him in the side cutting his skin. Merlin yelped in pain as he fell, resulting in the witch cackling again.

"Well well, looks like our game is over _boy_, thanks for making this city more fun to conquer!" The witch raised her hands to cast a spell to finish off Merlin, when suddenly volleys of bolts were sent flying in her direction. The witch quickly deflected the bolts and turned towards the direction of the bolts, a collection of knights including Laurence and the knight that had saved Merlin were taking aim and firing at the witch. Merlin took the distraction the knights had provided and pointed his staff at the witch.

"_Acwele!"_ A bolt of energy was then shot at the witch whom was distracted by the knights. The spell hit the witch squarely in the chest and knocked her off the roof. As Merlin struggled to get up Laurence came rushing to his aid.

"Merlin are you ok?" he asked, from the other side of the building the witch fell off of a high pitched shriek was heard. Merlin used Laurence to help himself up as he said, "Quick we have to catch the witch before she escapes!" Using Laurence and his staff as crutches they (along with the other knights) raced to the other side of the building. When they arrived the witch had grabbed a young woman with long flowing red hair (most likely the owner of the scream) and was holding a knife dangerously close to her neck.

"Please, mam, don't hurt me." The girl sobbed tears forming at her eyes.

"Stand back! All of you!" The witch snarled ignoring the girl. The knights had their crossbows aimed at the witch but not wanting to risk hitting the girl. "If any of you come a step closer I'll slit the bitch's neck!" the witch continued to threaten. One of the knights stepped forward crossbow still trained on the witch said, "By order of Queen Annis you are to be brought into custody to be tried for treason against the crown and for the destruction from protected lands. Now let the girl go or we will fire."

"_Swilte, knight!"_ The witch crowed. A plank of sharpened wood was sent flying at the knight impaling him through his armor. As the knight fell to the ground the remaining knights tensed but not lowering their aim on the witch.

"The next one to get in my way dies with the girl! Now make a path and let me pass. DO IT!" The knights looked at each other and it looked to Merlin that they were going to let them pass. Merlin frantically looked around for something he could use to his advantage he noticed that the fallen knight's crossbow was still armed ready to be fired and was conveniently aimed at the witch. As the other knights began to make a path for the witch Merlin made his move.

"_Onbregdan."_ The girl quickly flew from the witch's grasp, thankfully avoiding her knife as she magically flew towards Merlin, as Laurence made to catch the girl Merlin didn't relent from his attack.

"_Flieh! Gár!" _The fallen crossbow fired and caught the surprised witch in the shoulder, the enchantment Merlin had placed on it increased the strength of the bolt causing her to be launched and stuck onto the wall of a nearby building. As half the guards went to contain the witch the other half tended to their fallen comrade and the girl. Laurence who had been holding the girl after catching her finally looked down at her and asked, "Miss are you alright? Did the witch hurt you?" The girl shook her head unable to speak when a night tending to the fallen soldier called out in alarm.

"Young sorcerer this man still draws breath, is there anything that you can do for him, please?" With the help of Laurence Merlin hobbled to the injured soldier. The man was right and he was still drawing forced labored breaths. Merlin was never particularly good as using healing magic but he didn't want to tell the soldiers that and destroy their hope. Putting down his staff Merlin put his hands over the wound of the man and began to chant one of the more powerful healing spells he had learned. _"Ic ðe ðurhhæle ðinu licsar mid ðam sundorcræft ðære ealdan æ. Drycræft ðurhhæle ðina wunda ond ðe geedstaðolie!" (I heal you thoroughly from your wound with that special power that is ancient. Oh! Magic heals thoroughly your wounds and strengthens you!)_ As the magic activated Merlin could feel the spell take its toll on his body, but it seemed to do the trick. The man's bleeding had stopped and his wound seemed to be healed, his breathing also became more even. The other knights tending to the witch had managed to bind her arms behind her and take the crossbow bolt from her shoulder. She struggled with the men but showed no ability of being able to get away. Merlin stared exhausted as the men hauled the woman away. Meanwhile the young woman Merlin had saved finally spoke up.

"You… you saved me serah," it took Merlin a few moments to realize that she was talking to him. He gave her a weak smile and said, "It was nothing miss…"

"Marian, my name is Marian." The girl said quickly, she was trying desperately to hold off the tears building at her eyes. Merlin gave her another assuring smile and said, "It was nothing Marian, I was just doing my job." Marian bent down towards Merlin and gave him a kiss on his fore head. Merlin felt his face blush slightly as he noticed that she to blushed with some red forming from her now somewhat smiling face. As Laurence helped Merlin up from the ground and picked up his staff Merlin thought he saw something leafy in the palms of Marian's hands. He assumed he was just imagining things as he felt himself on the brink of unconsciousness. The last thing he remembered before passing out was Laurence and Marian dragging him back to the castle, a small nearly inaudible roar coming from the sky almost in warning as Merlin finally slipped into the darkness.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 Witch Hunt

Merlin awoke somewhat disoriented, unsure of where he was or how long he'd been knocked out for. He sat up and noticed that he was in a bed, nothing on above his trousers except for Kilgharrah's scale around his neck and bandages around his waist covering the wound the witch had given him. He put his hand to the bandage at his waist and was surprised to see that the bleeding had stopped and the pain had been reduced to a numbed throb. His head shot up when he heard the door open, in came an older woman probably in her mid-fifties with a tub filled with water and fresh bandages around her arm. When she noticed that Merlin was awake she shot him a toothy smile.

"I'm glad to see you're awake, you took quite a hit there." The old woman put down the tub and bandages and went to Merlin's bedside, she then put her hand onto Merlin's forehead and 'hmmd'. "Well your fevers gone down, I'm just going to check your wound now." With a gentle hand the woman began unwrapping the bandages at Merlin's waist. There were a few things Merlin wanted to ask but first he said, "Thank you, for treating me mam." The old woman looked up and smiled at Merlin kindly.

"Call me Jane, not mam. It makes me feel old." Merlin nodded and returned her smile as she finished unwrapping the bandages she gently put her hand on Merlin's wound, sending a quick jolt of pain through Merlin's body. He resisted the flinch as well as he could but Jane noticed and gave him an apologetic smile. "Well aside from the expected soreness of your wound there's nothing else wrong. All we need to do is clean the wound and put on fresh bandages." As Merlin nodded Jane stood up to leave the room. Confused Merlin called out for her to wait.

"Aren't you going to finish tending my wound?" he asked.

"No I'm sorry Merlin but I must tend to others in more dire need, but don't worry my apprentice will take excellent care of you, oh! Here she is now." At that moment a familiar face with long flowing red hair entered the room wearing a plain and simple dress with a small pouch at her waist, a look of relief mixed with worry on her face as she saw Merlin awake. Merlin gave her a smile and said, "I'm glad to see that you are unharmed." Marian gave him a bewildered look as she approached his bedside.

"YOU shouldn't be worrying about me," Marian said glaring at Merlin. Her expression softened though as she looked at Merlin's wound. "You saved my life from that witch, I am forever grateful to you serah." Merlin smiled at the new title as he said with a small smile, "Please, just call me Merlin." Marian smiled and reached into the tub to pull out a damp cloth. She began cleaning the wound on Merlin's side, gently, and for a few moments they only looked at each other. It wasn't until Jane spoke up that they remembered that they weren't alone.

"You should have seen her Merlin, the whole night you were unconscious she wouldn't leave your bedside. She took excellent care of you." Marian's face instantly grew to color of her hair as she turned frantically towards Jane and said,

"Thank you Mistress but I thought there were others in need of medical aid?" Jane gave her a knowing smile as she left the room and shut the door behind her. When Marian turned back to cleaning Merlin's wound she looked at him, and he was struggling not to laugh. Her face growing redder at the notion she to now tries to fight back a smile. When they both break out laughing the tension is eased while she finishes cleaning Merlin's wound. As she begins bandaging Merlin's now clean wound he decides now's as good a time as any to get some questions answered.

"How is the soldier I healed?" Merlin asked.

"He survived thanks to you, if it was left to Jane and me to try to heal him we probably wouldn't have been able to help him."

"I'm sure that you'd have done fine." Merlin assured her, earning him a snort in disbelief.

"Please Merlin Jane and I may be good, the best in Caerleon even, but even we have limitations. Limitations that magic can easily overcome." Merlin nodded then asked,

"Speaking of magic, what happened to the witch?"

"Queen Annis has her locked in the dungeons beneath the castle, she wanted to wait for you to be there for the witch's trial."

"What? Why me?" Merlin asked. Marian gave him a surprised look.

"What do you mean? You saved Caerleon and defeated the witch tormenting Annis's kingdom. Of course Annis would want you there, if not for protection than simply as a symbol." Merlin thought over this for a few moments. He didn't want to be displayed as a trophy by anyone not even Gwen if she'd wanted to, but the witch was dangerous and Annis was an ally of Camelot. Merlin decided it'd be in the Queen's best interest if he attended the hearing.

"Alright have someone tell the Queen I'll be there immediately and to start the trial when she's ready."

"The Queen has just been waiting for you to awaken, we can go now if you'd like." Marian suggested. Merlin nodded as he sat up fully getting out of the bed. He saw his pack and staves lying on the wall by his bed. With a quick glow of his eyes the sidhe staff flew into one hand as his pack flew into the other. He turned and looked to Marian's surprised face and asks, "Could you fetch me my shirt please?" As soon as Merlin was dressed he walked stiffly out of the room and followed Marian to the main hall. He leaned on his staff for support as they went into the main hall where the Queen, around 50 guards and some well-dressed men and women, most likely lords, sat around a large table taken out for the meeting. Without a word Marian had left Merlin's side to stand next to Jane who had been standing next to the knights. At the sight of Merlin the Queen rose, the hint of a smile on her face, as she declared "We will now bring the trial into effect. Bring in the prisoner." As Merlin took a position on the Queen's left and said in a voice only he could hear, "Quite a performance young sorcerer: putting out fires, flooding a city, causing buildings to fall; saving a life and defeating an enemy to the crown."

"All in a day's work," Merlin said humorously. The Queen laughed at his qwip and said,

"Not a day of work anyone in my kingdom would be found of having." She turned to look at Merlin and said sincerely, "You have my thanks Merlin. If ever there is anything you need, you let me know." As Merlin bowed in thanks 4 knights appeared escorting the witch into the chamber. The room grew quiet at the sight of her. Her gray hair matted wildly, her wrists shackled behind her back, a metal plate put over her mouth to prevent her from uttering spells; but the worst of all was the stare of pure anger and revolt she aimed at Merlin. He had to resist the urge to take a step back as she was brought to the center of the room under the eye of all the lords and the knights. The Queen now looking as menacing and ferocious as Merlin had known of her rose and stared down at the witch as she said,

"You have been brought forth to the ruling land of Caerleon to be tried for violent acts against the crown, how do you plead?" The witch said nothing but closed her eyes, Merlin was surprised to find himself feeling relieved at the gesture. Not waiting for the witch's plead she continues speaking down to the witch. "You have been caught red handed in an attack against Caerleon, this alone is enough to have you hanged, yet you also attacked the bordering cities of Enten, Feigel and Baltora. For this we shall not only hang you but burn you at the stake. Normally we would permit those condemned to say their final words but in your situation I will not allow it. Guards! Take her away, she will be hung at days end." Before the knights could take her away the witch began shaking, it wasn't long until Merlin realized that she was laughing hysterically. Suddenly, out of nowhere the 4 knights surrounding the witch were sent thrown back in opposite directions around her. She then tore her arms free of her shackles (assumingly using magic) as she then took off the plate restricting her from speaking she shot her eyes up towards the Queen and Merlin, the cold hardness still in her eyes.

"_You fools think you have are a match for me? Never!"_ As the witch spoke it sounded as if there were more than one voice repeating what she said around them. On a reflex Merlin pointed his staff at the witch and yelled, _"Forþ fleoge!" _The spell managed to hit the witch but did little more than push her back several feet, Merlin was shocked by her sudden resilience to magic, without uttering a spell the witch managed to set the entire room around her a fire creating a panic among the lords. Merlin quickly doused the fires as quickly as he could but by the time he finished the witch had finished her incantation.

"_Bedyrne ús! Astýre ús þanonweard!"_ The witch disappeared from the room in a mass of dark mist. By the time the smoke from the fire had cleared the witch was gone. When Annis had realized what happen the anger in her voice was evident.

"Search the castle! Search the cities and bordering towns! I want that witch brought to justice IMMEDIATELY!" The guards all rushed out of the room followed by the lords who desperately wanted to escape the castle. Annis then turned to Merlin a mix of anger and apology shown on her face.

"Merlin I know you were injured yesterday and that you should spend more time recovering but is there any way that you can find the witch?"

"I'll look in one of my books now my queen and will set off once I have a destination." The Queen nodded approving of his decision. "I'll ready a group of men to accompany you on your search."

"No." Merlin said surprising the Queen. "She just got away and will already be expecting others looking for her. I'll be able to go in unseen on my own, it's safer that way." The Queen looked at Merlin and finally nodded. "Very well Merlin, be careful." Merlin bowed as he limped out of the hall. Before he left the hall the queen had called out to him. He turned as she said, "The witch has already been condemned to death, it is no longer required that she be brought in. Do what needs to be done." Merlin nodded solemnly as he exited the room. He found himself in the castle's library, with his spell book and numerous other books around him he looked constantly for some sort of tracking spell he could use. Unfortunately nearly every tracking spell required a possession of the one being tracked, another asked for the blood of the target, all things that Merlin did not have. He searched constantly through the books for things that could be substituted but every time something seemed applicable he eventually hit a wall with some rule or outlandish requirement. The only spell that _might _have worked could only be achieved on the night of the full moon uttering the spell along with the targets name, _again_ two things he did not have: the time to wait for the full moon, and time. He slammed the lids of all the books magical in anger and put his head in his hands trying to calm down. He then felt a hand placed on his shoulder, he turned around to see Marian looking at him worriedly.

"Are you ok?" she asked worry coursing through her voice. Merlin tried to give her a smile but had no idea how it looked.

"I'm ok, just frustrated," he admitted.

"What about?" Marian asked. She took the chance to sit herself on the bench next to Merlin, her hand still on his shoulder. Merlin gestured to the books on the table and said, "I've been searching for a way to find the witch but all of these spells require something that I don't have: a personal item, a name a drop of her blood. I'm starting to regret making it rain in the town now."

"But then it would have been burned down and a lot of people would have been hurt or killed," she pointed out. Merlin looked to her and gave her a small smile.

"Your right," he said rubbing at his temples now. "I just wish there was something I could do." Marian seemed hesitant for a moment, Merlin saw her expression and misinterpreted it as a look of discomfort.

"What's wrong?" Merlin asked worriedly.

"Hmmm? Oh, nothing!" Marian assured. She removed her hand from Merlin's shoulder and went to the small herb pouch at her waist. She pulled out a sickly brown looking vine with bright green leaves sticking out and presented it to Merlin.

"When the witch had grabbed a hold of me this fell from her and into my dress. It's a rare plant that only grows in a cave south of Caerleon." Merlin looked at her in surprise and disbelief as he took the vine from her warm hands. As he examined the vine Marian continued to talk.

"Jane had told me that in the old days she would buy powerful poultices from the druids made from these that could heal any infection." Merlin hadn't heard the last part too excited about having a chance to track down the witch.

"I may be able to use the tracking spell to find the origin of this plant!" He opened up his spell book in a flurry as he tried to find the tracking spell he had passed over.

"Why can't I just take you to the cave? I know where it is," Marian asked. Merlin looked up from his book to look at Marian quizzically. "How would you know where the cave is?"

"It's like I told you, the vine makes powerful poultices for infection. I used to travel to the cave to get some for Jane." Merlin thought it over for a few moments but found himself shaking his head.

"No, it's too dangerous, I appreciate the offer but it'll be faster if I go by myself." Marian looked at Merlin angrily as she crossed her arms under her breasts.

"In case you forgot you're still wounded, and how will you find the cave without my help?" Merlin looked back to the spell book and muttered the spell under his breath. The Vine quickly stiffened half of its length pointing to the south. "I'll find it like this," Merlin said with a smile, when he noticed that Marian was still glaring angrily at him he sighed. "I'm sorry, but I don't want to risk your safety. I'll be fine Marian, I promise." Marian's expression finally softened at Merlin's caring speech. She then wrapped her arms around a surprised Merlin's waist (surprisingly without any pain) and embraced him.

"Please be careful Merlin," she said in a hushed voice. Merlin put his arms around her and promised her he would. It wasn't long until he was on Honey riding south in the direction the vine had been pointing at. He rode throughout the day until the night was too dark for him to see. So he pulled Honey off the road into a clearing, as he was tying her reins to a knocked over tree Merlin hears a roar coming from above. He looks up and by the light of the moon sees Aithusa flying down to him. When she landed he approached her and patted her side as she nuzzled his stomach causing him to flinch from his wound. "Ahhh careful Aithusa, I got hurt there." Aithusa looked at Merlin and then sniffed at the wound at his waist. With a sharp exhale Aithusa breathes at the area the wound was and Merlin was surprised to feel that the wound no longer hurt. He lifted his shirt and peaked under the bandages to see that the wound had been completely healed. Merlin smiled and thanked the young Dragon. It wasn't long until Merlin was lying on Aithusa's side in front of a magically lit fire he had made. He stared into the fire as he listened to the breathing of the sleeping Dragon. There were a few things that he was playing through in his head that he couldn't get to make any sense.

_The witch was able to use magic without using an incantation, if she was that powerful why didn't she just leave the castle's dungeons? Also why had she not simply teleported away when she was cornered by the knights and Merlin instead of grabbing Marian?_ Merlin's thoughts eventually put him to sleep and he soon found himself in darkness. When he woke up the next morning he stood up and stretched, Aithusa was still asleep and it was still a few minutes until the sun would rise. Merlin pulled out the vine from his pocket and looked at what direction to go in. It was pointing slightly east of where he was now. He put the vine back in his pocket and went towards his pack. He pulled out an apple and a few pieces of dried meat. As he took a bite out of his apple Aithusa began to awake, as she stood she shook her head to get the sleep out and took a few steps toward Merlin. Honey whined briefly but made no motion to run away. Merlin smiled at the Dragon and offered her the meat in his hand, Aithusa smelt it and then in a quick motion of her tongue ate contents in Merlin's outstretched hand with a single slurp. Merlin couldn't help but laugh before taking another bite of his apple. He offered the rest of it to Honey who took the remaining apple in her mouth as Merlin untied her. As he mounted Honey he turned to look back at Aithusa. "Try to stay close, you can fly but stay close." For whatever reason Aithusa chose to walk along side Merlin and Honey for the journey. As the duo progressed Merlin realized that the vine was beginning to shake violently. Confused Merlin looked around, he couldn't see nor sense anything in the area and Aithusa obviously hadn't either. As they continue progressing Merlin notices that after each step Honey takes the plant shook more and more. Merlin finally dismounted Honey and looked around the area. He had no idea if the shaking meant they were close or not but he saw nothing that even remotely looked like a cave. As Merlin continued to search he noticed Aithusa sniffing at the ground and scratching at it as if to dig something up.

"What is it? Did you find something?" Merlin asked. Aithusa ignored Merlin as she continued to move and sniff at the same time in random patterns around the area. Finally out of nowhere Aithusa released an angry roar as she loosed a jet of fire at the ground beneath her. Before Merlin had the chance to tell her to stop Merlin realized that she had revealed a path that led underground. Aithusa jumped head first in at the protests of Merlin. He looked down the rocky path considering what could be down there. He treaded carefully down the sloped path trying to keep his footing. He had called out to Aithusa to come back but she was ignoring him. He was about to take another step when his footing cracked and sent him falling. Merlin fell down the rest of the sloped path hitting what seemed like every rock and stone on the way when he finally landed with a loud **thud** on the bottom of the cavern. After moaning from the pain for a few minutes Merlin finally manages to hoist himself up. The first thing he does is conjure a light that was eye level with him, illuminating the cavern around him. He checks his pack, everything is still there and his two Staves were unharmed. He looks up from where he fell and notices that it would take him forever to climb back up, the only way he'd have a chance was if Aithusa was helping him. As if hearing his thoughts Aithusa let out a pleading roar that reached Merlin through the echoing of the cavern. Merlin raced in the direction he thought the roar had come from the light inches above his head.

"Aithusa where are you?" Merlin yelled out. After a few seconds he heard her pleading roar again this time much closer by. He took out his Sidhe staff as he walked towards Aithusa's voice and was relieved when he saw her unharmed. She didn't give him a chance to approach her though as she continued running off into the darker area of the cavern. Merlin groaned as he chased after the young Dragon. He managed to follow her through a tight pass that nearly trapped him but lost her soon after that. Merlin continued looking for Aithusa, the light hovering above him as light shone around the area. As he progressed he saw a bright blue light that seemed far off in the distance. He extinguished his light to get a better look and went in the direction of the light. He had to go slow at first to avoid the rocks and the lowered ceilings of the cave but as he progressed the path got larger and easier to travel. He found himself running towards the light when he could not sure what possessed him to do so, as he made one final turn he found the blue light shining brightly at his face. It took a minute for Merlin's eyes to adjust to the blinding light, but when it did Merlin felt tears at his eyes as he dropped his staff. Chained to an altar of the Old Religion, the once beautiful dress now ripped at inappropriate places and barely on her body. Wounds old and new alike formed on her porcelain white flesh, in fact to Merlin it seemed there were more cuts, scabs and bruises then skin. Chained to the altar of the Old Religion; hung a limp barely breathing form of Morgana Pendragon. A series of emotions flooded through Merlin at the sight of Morgana's body: grief, regret, sympathy, anger, and longing? No Merlin was simply shocked at seeing Morgana's form in front of him. He considered releasing her from her chains but a part of him yelled at him to leave her to die, but he knew he wouldn't be able to leave her there. Even Morgana didn't deserve a fate like this. Merlin was about to release Morgana from her chains when he felt the presence of two powerful beings behind him. He turned and was surprised to see who was behind him, the first was the witch that had attacked Caerleon, and the second was someone Merlin never expected to see.

"Hello Emrys," she said coolly, putting her red hair behind her ears, her gaze never leaving Merlin.

"What are you doing here?" Merlin demanded pointing his staff at the two women. Marian gave a spine chilling smile as she said,

"Planning my conquest Emrys, and YOU are going to help me."

AN: Ok everyone thanks for reading. Someone ended up asking me where I'm getting my spells from and if there real or not. For the most part yes most of the spells I use are from the Merlin Wiki where they have a list of the used spells, I have created a few but I try to make them sound as legit as possible. Please Review, I live for reviews and stick around for the next chapter!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 Dark Motives

"Hello Emrys," she said coolly, putting her red hair behind her ears, her gaze never leaving Merlin.

"What are you doing here?" Merlin demanded pointing his staff at the two women. Marian gave a spine chilling smile as she said,

"Planning my conquest Emrys and YOU are going to help me." Merlin stared at Marian and the witch as he kept his sidhe staff raised between them. Merlin had too many thoughts going through his head and finding Morgana didn't do much to help his nerves. He spoke in a calm voice that betrayed his inner turmoil.

"You have me mistaken for someone else, Emrys is my master." Marian gave Merlin a knowing smile, not moving an inch from her position.

"Please Merlin, Queen Annis may be fool enough to fall for such a blatant lie but do not EVER believe me to be a fool." She snapped, losing her composure for a split second. "I felt the power of your magic when you tore me from Cabot's grasp, and I must say that I am impressed."

"Wait, your _allied_ with that witch?" Merlin demanded unable to keep the disbelief out of his voice.

"Allied? No we aren't allies that would imply that we are equals. She is a thrall to me and nothing more." If the witch, Cabot, didn't like being called a thrall she didn't show it. She just leered at Merlin menacingly a cold, almost beast like smile on her mouth.

"So you expect this witch to continue being loyal to you? She already threatened to kill you once what will stop her from doing so again?" Marian gave a dark, cold laugh that sent shivers going down Merlin's body. "Cabot is not nearly as powerful as I am and even less so than you as it would seem. But I did not summon her for her power, no she was a test, a test to see if the power that was deemed uncontrollable inaccessible, could be harnessed. She's proof that it can be."

"What are you going on about?" Merlin demanded growing tired of Marian's rambling.

"I'm talking about harnessing the power beyond the veil!" She spat. Before Merlin didn't have any time to react as Marian held her hand out to the side of Cabot and said, "_Geriht læc me," _The old woman's form haggard for a minute and when brought back to focus caused Merlin to recoil in shock and fear. What was before Merlin was not human, nor any creature he had ever seen before. Its body was slouched, the clothes it had once worn were gone revealing a sickening pale green appearance that covered its body. Its hair was replaced by a matted mane of gray… let's call it fur that went down passed the creatures back, the fingers on its hands seemed to have had extra joints with long claws emitting from each finger, the same applied to its feet exactly, as if it had another set of hands for feet her face looked more animal like in appearance with what looked like a bear's snout cat shaped irises and teeth that seemed as sharp as knives.

"Beautiful isn't it?" Marian asked dazzled by Cabot's appearance.

"What is that, _thing?" _Merlin spat but he feared that he already knew from the knowledge Kilgharrah had given him.

"This is what the future holds for us Merlin, this is a creature from across the veil, a-"

"A Demon of Wrath," Merlin interrupted surprising both him and Marian.

"Yes, correct" Marian said recomposing herself. "Cabot is one of the weakest forms of demons from beyond the veil, making it much easier to summon _it_ then a more powerful demon."

"You have no idea the magic you're messing with," Merlin said. He saw a glimmer of white move on the roof of the cavern but Marion didn't seem to have noticed it. "Messing with the veil is only guaranteed to bring chaos and death to the mortal world."

"Please Merlin, don't give me that rubbish the Priests and Priestesses spout to their initiates. They would open the veil for their own selfish desire to summon the Dorocha when the need demanded it.

"They dealt with the Cailleach not demons!" Merlin shouted, "And I'm guessing she will destroy you when she learns what you're doing." Marion uttered another chine shivering laugh along with Cabot making shrill shrieking noises Merlin took as laughter.

"Merlin by the time that old hag learns of what my plans are I'll be far more powerful then she is, and with our power combined we could rule the world for eons!"

"What are you saying? I would never help you!" Merlin shouted.

"I am giving you a choice Merlin. You have proven to be a powerful and resourceful wizard, you were able to find this cave. A cave I enchanted to prevent any from finding it, and somehow you managed to break through the enchantment. That in itself shows that you are truly gifted." Merlin had no idea what she was talking about; it was Aithusa that had found the cave not him.

"The fact that I am so powerful should make you afraid Marion. You do not have the power to defeat me." Merlin said deciding to let her believe what she wanted.

"Don't be a fool Merlin. You can help me willingly and be my partner or forcibly like Morgana back there."

"What do you mean? What have you done to her!?" Merlin demanded nearly shouting at Marion. She gave Merlin a cold smile that almost seemed seductive. "I found Morgana's body shortly after you impaled her through the stomach. She was near death when I found her and had already succumbed to the darkness. As a High Priestess, even one as lowly as her, she had considerable power if not the ability to use it well."

"Get to the point!" Merlin demanded, shouting this time.

"What she is chained to is an altar of the Old Religion that High Priest and Priestesses of the past would bring their defeated enemies to. As long as her body is attached to that altar her magic is added to my own. Summoning and controlling demons take a lot of power Merlin, and making it seem as if their using magic is just as taxing. Her power in addition to mine makes it easier, but with the three of our powers united together: NO ONE would be a match for us and the horde of demons we could summon." At hearing this Merlin began shaking in anger, this woman was mad and what she was doing was even crazier.

"If Morgana is so valuable to you then why is she so badly scarred? I can only take credit for one of them." _And watch what the fuck you say woman_ Merlin thought as an afterthought. He didn't understand why he was so protective of Morgana, after everything she'd done she deserved to die, but even she didn't deserve this. No one did. Marion just gave Merlin a cool smile as if hearing his thoughts. "The pain keeps her alive Merlin, I don't know what you stabbed her with but it had powerful magic to it, and I'm not any good at healing," she teased seductively. "So keeping her alive through pain is the only way I knew how to keep her alive. Cabot here had a lot of fun carving into her sk-" Merlin had heard enough.

"_Acwele!" _he shouted blasting a bolt of energy at the two. Caught by surprise Marion barely had a chance to rise up a shield for the attack. Merlin heard Morgana moan from behind him and realized the extent of the bond she had with Marion. Every time Marion used magic it was also being drawn from Morgana, making it possible to block a direct hit from a sidhe staff. When the smoke cleared from the impact Marion and Cabot were both angry and Cabot seemed it was going to rip its self apart from anxiousness.

"That was a mistake Merlin and you WILL regret it!" speaking in some strange language Marion shouted something, resulting in Cabot leaping at Merlin with bloodlust in its eyes.

"_Forbærne! Ácwele!" _ Merlin shouted a ball of fire appeared in his hand as he threw it at the leaping demon. It engulfed the demon as it fell past Merlin at the foot of the altar, but as Merlin was distracted by the demon he forgot about Marion until she had already cast her spell. Merlin's arms and legs were forced to his sides by an invisible force. Merlin dropped his staff as he tried to resist the holds with his own magic. The more he fought back the more Morgana moaned from behind him, he couldn't relent though he kept trying to free himself but all it earned him was an amused smile from Marion.

"I would have given you power even beyond your imagination Emrys, but now you'll be nothing more but a vessel. Like Morgana over there."

"Your pathetic," Merlin managed through his concentration. "You need to take power from others so that you can act powerful. I'm not fighting your power, I'm fighting Morgana's." This seemed to hit to home because Merlin felt the pressure on his mind and body intense along with the moaning coming from Morgana.

"We could have been a great team Emrys, but I suppose summoning a powerful demon to be my new thrall is a fitting substitute for you." As she slowly managed to force Merlin's body towards the altar Cabot finally managed to get up from being hit point blank by a fire ball. As the chains on the altar came to life preparing to restrain Merlin Marion gave him a victorious smile and said, "Any last words?" Merlin replied with a forced smile as he said, "Yeah only this," His next few words came out as roars that caused Marion to recoil along with Cabot who acted as if it understood what the roaring meant.

"_Aithusa,_ _e male so ftengometta tesd'hup'anankes!"_ With a roar of her own Aithusa fell from the ceiling and landed right in between Merlin and Marion. She put her snout right in Marion's face and let out a roar of such intensity that Merlin could have mistaken it for Kilgharrah's roar. The fear from seeing Aithusa caused Marion to break off her hold on Merlin resulting in him falling to the ground. Cabot leaped at Aithusa who batted it away with a wave of her tail. Aithusa then relinquished a breath of fire at the demon which (unlike Merlin's fire) caused it to scream in fits of pain and agony.

"NO!" Marion yelled in a rage, she turned her full attention now to the angry Dragon in front of her as her demon withered away into ash. "You'll pay for tarnishing my plans you damned lizard! _Lyft sy þe in bǽlwylm ac forhienan se wiðere!" _The fire that had burned Cabot was then sent at Aithusa. As it engulfed her Marion laughed awaiting the pained screams from the white Dragon, but she didn't hear her pained cries, all she heard was an angry growl from the back of Aithusa's throat. With one flap of her wings the fire surrounding her was extinguished. With another ear splitting roar Aithusa released another jet of fire at Marion, who only just blocked it in time. Aithusa however had no intention of easing her fire and increased the power she exhaled at Marion, she slowly felt the fire coarse through her shield as she proceeded to redouble her efforts. Simultaneously she heard the sound of chains falling to the ground along with Marion recoiling in pain. She looked past Aithusa and saw that Merlin had released Morgana from the altar and had her in his arms. Since Morgana was released Marion's power was significantly decreased, the fire couldn't have reached her faster if she had wanted it to. As soon as her shield was overpowered Aithusa's fire had engulfed Marion causing her to roar and scream from the agony she had caused to her. She was on the ground roaring as Merlin limped to Aithusa with Morgana in his arms. At the sight at her friend passed out in Merlin's arms Aithusa released a sad cry as she rushed to Merlin. She nuzzled at Morgana trying to get her to awaken but all she got in return was a soft moan from Morgana's lips. Merlin looked passed Aithusa and saw Marion's burning form still writhing on the ground. She was yelling an incantation through her screaming and Merlin knew they wouldn't have much time. Leaving Morgana to Aithusa he rushed back to the altar and quickly took the chains that had just previously constricted her. He then picked up Morgana again and laid her on Aithusa's back_._

"_Ic the gehatte," _As he finished the spell the chains instantly wrapped them around Morgana and Aithusa making it that she wouldn't be able to fall off the Dragon's back.

"Aithusa get Morgana out of here," Merlin instructed. Aithusa gave a surprised shriek as she shook her head and pushed at Merlin with her tail. _I'm following your lead_ Merlin figured the message.

"There's no time Aithusa, I need to destroy this altar. Get out of here now!" Aithusa shook her head again not wanting to leave Merlin. Merlin realizing this decided there was only one way to get her to listen without forcing her to leave.

"Aithusa if I don't do this then anyone could be put back on this altar like Morgana just was, even me! Now get to safety and I'll meet you outside. GO!" Aithusa gave a final sad cry before she started running the other way hopefully to the exit. Merlin picked up his sidhe staff and put it in his pack; he then removed the elegant white staff he received from the crystal cave and held it in his hands. To destroy an altar of the Old Religion Merlin would need to tap into more powerful magic then his sidhe staff would allow. Wielding the staff in both hands Merlin raises the staff slightly as he utters, _"Ic ábíetee þæt stánhol!"_ Slamming the butt of the staff to the ground the cavern itself began to shake, the altar itself moaned from the power as the glowing blue light disappeared at the altar's destruction. Unfortunately the spell was apparently _too_ powerful for the cave began to enclose on itself. Merlin made a dash to leave, summoning a floating light once again to illuminate his path. As he runs he hears Marion calling out to him in a pain and anger induced voice.

"_EMRYS! THIS ISN'T THE LAST YOU'VE SEEN OF ME! I WILL DESTROY YOU AND YOUR PET DRAGON!"_ Merlin kept running as she ranted, believing that escape was essentially more important than a dying woman's ranting. The cave collapsed behind him as he continued to run, he finally made it back to where he had entered the cave when he realized that getting out would be much harder than it had been to fall in. Merlin began to climb desperately as he tried to reach the entrance to the cave. The rocks were quickly falling as he struggled to climb up, suddenly one of the rocks he had just grabbed onto had shifted causing him to lose balance and fall. Just before he fell more than a few inches he felt something grab at his shirt and yanked him up with great force. He landed on his back with a thud, as he looked up dazed he was met by Aithusa looking down at him. Merlin gave Aithusa a smile as he pushed himself up. "Thanks Aithusa, you saved me there." He was answered by a happy roar that was interrupted by the further shaking of the cavern. Merlin turned as he saw the cave's entrance close in on itself, leaving nothing but a crater of rock in its wake. _At least no one can be tortured like that again_, Merlin thought to himself. He then turned his attention to the woman strapped to Aithusa's back. Morgana Pendragon lied atop the white Dragon and Merlin had no idea what to do with her. Merlin stood up and walked to Aithusa to unchain Morgana from her. As he lifted her off of Aithusa her head rested on his chest right above his heart. For whatever reason this caused Merlin to freeze in place and look at the battered woman's condition. She was bruised, scared, scabbed and broken; and Merlin was still considering leaving her on her own. Merlin laid her down gently and covered her body with his jacket, to keep her warm and to hide the large portions of her skin that was visible due to her dress being ripped in inappropriate places. Finally deciding on a course of action he gives Morgana one final look and says, "Let's get out of here Aithusa," As he turns to look for Honey Aithusa lets out a shriek of disappointment as she goes to curl herself around Morgana's limp form. When Merlin turned around and saw the sight he sighed and went back to Aithusa. "Come on Aithusa get away from her, we have to leave now." Aithusa shook her head before resting it on Morgana's lap. Merlin groaned at the young Dragon's stubbornness and turned back to her.

"Aithusa come on! We have to go! She'll be fine." Aithusa put her snout under Merlin's jacket and moved it slightly to show the long row of cuts and bruises along her arm. Aithusa then gave Merlin a look that nearly shouted _We're not leaving her like this._ Merlin finally relented and said, "Alright fine, we'll stay with her until she recovers; but WHEN she tries to kill me for stabbing her in the stomach, you better back me up." Aithusa gave a victorious hum as Merlin left to find Honey, and to find some herbs that could be used on Morgana. He managed to kill two birds with one stone with that job; he had found Honey in a clearing grazing under a few mossy trees. The moss on the trees could be used as a disinfectant for Morgana's wounds. He grabbed a few armfuls of moss and grabbed Honey's reins leading her back to Aithusa and Morgana. Honey protested at the sight of Aithusa again and Merlin was forced to tie her a good distance away from her. As Merlin progressed towards the two Merlin stopped and stared at the affection Aithusa was giving Morgana. She had already started healing some of Morgana's wounds but she wasn't strong enough for the more serious looking ones. She had one of her wings wrapped around her protectively as she hummed slightly as if trying to wake her. When Merlin approached them Aithusa looked up and moved to give him access to Morgana. He put a handful of the moss in his mouth and chewed it for a few seconds, then removing the chewed moss from his mouth he began to spread the moss around the wounds on one of Morgana's arms. Once the wounds were covered he began to do the same for her other arm, and then her back. He did his best not to stare at Morgana's body as he applied the moss to her body, he knew that when Morgana found out he had put his hands on her she'd try to throw him into a tree or light him on fire. When Merlin was finished applying the moss to Morgana's body he rolled up his sleeves and put his hands inches over Morgana's body. _"Ahlúttre þá séocnes. Þurhhæle bræd,"_ As Merlin's eyes glowed from the magic he felt tendrils of exhaustion creep through his body, Morgana's condition however slightly improved. Merlin nodded at his work as he went into his pack to pull out his spell book and an apple. He sat across from Morgana and Aithusa who had just wrapped herself around Morgana again and opened his spell book. If he was going to have to wait for Morgana to recover then he wouldn't waste the time he was forced into. Opening his book to a random page he took a big bite out of his apple. He continued to flip through the book until one section caught Merlin's attention. He smiled with his face full of apple as he began reading the opening statement to a forgotten form of magic.

_Shape shifting, the art of changing ones form into that of another living creature. _

_Section 1….._

__Thanks for reading everyone please please PLEASE review :D And Happy New Year!


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 A Changed Point of View

It had been a week since Merlin had rescued Morgana from Marion and her demon's grasp and ever since he had been busy at work. When he wasn't tending to Morgana's wounds (which were much more time consuming then Merlin would have thought) he was pouring almost all of his time studying the magic Kilgharrah had given him but firstly he took an interest in shape shifting. The spell book said that changing the users shape was not a skill to be taken upon lightly, for some were not able to return to their original forms on their own. Believing to have understood basic principles of this forgotten magic Merlin tried unsuccessfully to change his form. The book instructed that it was best to start with a small animal, at first he tried a deer, than a fox, rabbit squirrel; at any recent point Merlin would have accepted growing rabbit ears. Merlin had studied intently on the spell for days but still had no luck performing the transformations. Unfortunately Merlin had to put a hold on his practice, Morgana had gained a terrible fever the night before and it wasn't going down. Merlin checked her wounds and saw they weren't infected. He began to worry, he turned her over and saw a frightening sight: the veins on her back had changed to a sickly green color. Merlin followed the veins and noticed they spread to her arms and to her chest, out of chivalry Merlin decided not to look any lower to follow the veins. Merlin had to assume that it was some kind of poison coursing through Morgana's veins, but when could she have been poisoned? It was then that Merlin remembered that Marion said that her demon had taken to clawing at Morgana to keep her alive, it's possible that it managed to poison her during the process.

"Can you do anything about the poison?" Merlin asked Aithusa. Aithusa walked towards Morgana and breathed her magic into Morgana, unfortunately when the green didn't leave her veins Aithusa looked at Merlin and shook her head sadly.

"I was afraid of that," Merlin said looking through his book. There were several spells for healing and removing poison. Merlin tried the first spell he found, he uttered the spell _"Þu fornimest adl fram guman,"_ and watched as the spell progressed onto Morgana. When it didn't show to have any effect Merlin tried the next spell he found. _"Ge hailige,"_ unfortunately that spell also had no effect. Growing frustrated Merlin began uttering spell after spell in attempts to heal Morgana growing more and more frustrated after every failure.

"_Ic þe þurhhæle þin licsare, _Damn. _ic hæle þina þrowunga, _Damn!" Once Merlin had gone through all of the potential cures on Morgana he began to lose hope. He looked to Aithusa apologetically and said, "Aithusa I'm sorry but I've done all I can. There's nothing more I can do for her." Aithusa roared in sadness as she tried again to heal her friend. When it failed to work Merlin put a hand on her shoulder and said, "We gave it our best shot Aithusa, she's just beyond our skill to heal." Aithusa began to growl in protest, almost as if she was trying to speak. Unfortunately it was still incomprehensible.

"I know your upset Aithusa, but I really think we should leave her-" Before Merlin could finish Aithusa roared angrily at his comment. She huddled protectively over Morgana and glared at Merlin, as if daring him to try something.

"Aithusa come on!" Merlin protests.

Aithusa growls from the depth of her throat.

"There isn't anything else we can do!"

Aithusa lets out another growl more assertive this time.

"Come on Aithusa do you really think she'd go through this much trouble if it was _me _who was sick?" Aithusa didn't growl at that comment, she looked between Merlin and Morgana and then shook her head sadly. "Exactly Aithusa, I've already done more for her then she'd have done for me. We need to move on," Merlin urged. Aithusa shook her head again before laying it atop of Morgana's lap. Merlin moaned seeing that she wouldn't listen to reason. He was about to command Aithusa to leave when something happened that surprised both of them; Morgana spoke.

"Aithusa…" she called out weakly, not opening her eyes, she must have been dreaming. Aithusa responded with a heartfelt prmmm as she nuzzled Morgana who weakly put her hand on Aithusa's snout, subconsciously at the Dragon's presence. Merlin moaned again and kicked at a random rock sending it flying.

"GAAAAAAAAAH! Fine, Aithusa! I'll go and try to find someone who can help her, alright?" Aithusa didn't move from Morgana's lap but gave an appreciative hum as Merlin went to mount Honey.

"Sometimes I wonder who the Dragon Lord really is," Merlin muttered under his breath as he trotted away. He left his pack and staves with Aithusa, they would only slow him down. He was a few days ride away from Caerleon but he worried on whether or not he could trust Jane, Caerleon's physician. If Marion was a psychotic witch it was possible that Jane was as well. The only option Merlin could depend on was racing to Camelot to get aid from Gaius, unfortunately that was double the distance of Caerleon. Merlin looked down at Honey and petted her affectionately; he was going to have to ride the old mare pretty hard if they were to have any chance of helping Morgana. At his command and snap of the reigns Honey roared into a gallop on the trail that would lead him to Camelot Merlin tried to be gentle but knew he had to keep her speed steady to reach Camelot in time. Every time Honey needed rest (which was only twice to be heavily watered) Merlin used a spell to instantly reinvigorate the old mare to continue running at ridiculous speeds. Merlin had to of broken a record in horse riding, making it to Camelot in 2 and a half days when it would normally take 4. He handed the exhausted Mare's reins to a stable boy and ordered that the horse be given a rest and taken excellent care of. He was also tired, if not as tired as Honey, from riding over three days with no sleep; but he had to forge on for Morgana's sake. He rushes past the guards and knights as he made a beeline for Gaius's chambers, when he barges in Gaius looks up from his desk in shock and smiles in seeing Merlin.

"Merlin! I got your letter a week ago but you hadn't written back, I was beginning to worry." He noticed how exhausted Merlin was and ordered him to sit down and to drink some water. As Merlin took his seat and chugged down his water he told Gaius what had happened the last week; starting with the fight at Caerleon with the demon cloaked witch. Gaius was silent and unsurprised until Merlin brought up Morgana and how he was trying to heal her wounds. Gaius looked as if Merlin had grown a second head, he quickly shut the door to his chamber and turned looking to Merlin with a look of confusion, worry and hidden frustration.

"So you mean to tell me that not only is Morgana alive, but your _treating_ her? Merlin do you realize how risky this is?" Gaius asked. Merlin nodded solemnly as he ate some of the bread Gaius laid out in front of him. Gaius shook his head and sat across from Merlin. "Merlin you realize once Morgana is well that she will try to conquer Camelot."

"I know Gaius but Aithusa's extremely protective of Morgana, every time I suggest leaving her she freaks out!" Merlin exclaimed. Gaius shook his head and said, "It must have been the two years they spent together tortured by Sarrum, they've grown a bond as you and Kilgharrah did."

"Wait, I'm sorry who?" Merlin asked.

"Oh I forgot, you weren't there when Sarrum came to Camelot. It was when you followed that boy who pretended to be a druid." Merlin remembered the boy and how Morgana had paid him to pose as a druid in need of someone to heal his sister. What he didn't know was that Arthur had invited the man who had imprisoned Morgana, and Aithusa to apparently, for 2 years. Merlin shuddered at Gaius's description of their imprisonment and felt pity and sorrow for them both. What was disturbing though was that Merlin now realized that Aithusa wasn't under any spell, she just willingly _liked _Morgana. Not that he could blame her, even Merlin had cared for her before she tried to conquer Camelot; but that was in the past and Merlin didn't wish to relive it.

"Well regardless of the situation letting her die isn't an option, is there anything we can do?" Gaius got up from his seat and got an old book from the shelf and brought it back to the table. After 20 minutes of searching Gaius shook his head. "I'm afraid there's no cure for a demon's poison, being infected is as good as a death sentence."

"Well what about Alice? She was poisoned by the Manticore." Merlin pointed out.

"Yes but she wasn't given enough to kill her, only enough so the Manticore could control her."

"Well what about when she used its poison to poison Uther?" Merlin asked drawing at straws.

"It would have killed him yes, but we destroyed the portal the Manticore came from cutting it off from its power on the other side of the veil. That's why he was cured."

"And Marion supposedly pulled this demon directly from the veil, not a box like Alice used. So there goes that idea." Merlin said exasperated. He rubbed at his eyes exhausted from the 2 day ride. Gaius noticed Merlin's tiredness and pointed to his room. "Merlin go get some rest your dead on your feet. I'll keep looking to see if there's some way to treat the demon's poison. Merlin was about to protest when a giant yawn escaped his mouth. Gaius tried to hold back a knowing smile but Merlin knew he was right.

"If Gwen comes looking for me send her away please, and don't let me sleep to long." Gaius nodded as Merlin went to his room. He jumped onto the bed and sighed at its comfort. Before falling asleep Merlin grabbed ahold of the scale around his neck, wishing his friend was still around to lend a hand. He fell asleep soon afterwards hand still on the scale. Merlin slept roughly, the worry of not being able to help Morgana in time creeping at the back of his mind, worry that Aithusa would hate him for not saving her. There was definitely no pleasant dreaming on his end; but then, as if a presence began fogging his sleep he heard a familiar voice speak out to him.

"_Merlin,"_ the voice called. Merlin tried to call back but he couldn't project his voice suddenly the voice began shouting at Merlin angrily as if there were many of him all talking at once. All of them shouting different things that Merlin couldn't understand, the only thing Merlin could understand was the voice calling his name.

"_Merlin,"_ a feeling went through Merlin, a feeling that was like when Kilgharrah gifted him with magic; but instead of new spells coming to his mind it was knowledge that Kilgharrah had already given him. The shouting stopped and Merlin managed to learn two things from the sensation. The first was only a name and a visual of an aqua shaded jewel called the Crystal of Jadira. The second were a set of instructions. Merlin awoke suddenly with a jolt, his head was hurting but not for long. As he got up he saw Gaius still at the table with numerous books around him, his reading glasses fitted on his face. He looked up and saw Merlin walking towards him.

"Any luck?" Merlin asked.

"I'm afraid not," Gaius said morbidly shutting the book in front of him. "There just doesn't seem to be a cure for healing demon poisons." Gaius took off his glasses and looked at Merlin. "What's the matter?" he asked worriedly. Merlin waved off something being wrong and sat in front of him.

"I had this strangest dream, it was like when Kilgharrah would give me knowledge, but this time I just… remembered knowledge he already gave me."

"What did you learn?" Gaius asked intrigued.

"Well, I learned a new way to look at a spell I've been working on for the past few days and something about a Crystal of Jadira, whatever that is." At the mention of the crystal Gaius's brow furrowed as he went deep into thought. He then got up to go to his shelf and pulled out a book, after shifting through the pages he pointed to a page with an image of an aqua shaded jewel, which looked just like the one in Merlin's dream.

"Is that it?" Merlin asked.

"Yes it is, the Crystal of Jadira. This could be what helps you heal Morgana Merlin." Gaius said.

"Why what does it do?" Gaius put on his glasses again and read the passage concerning the Crystal.

"_The Crystal of Jadira was the main component of a staff to a great and powerful sorcerer whose name has long been forgotten. Normally used as the sorcerer's staff head it was often removed to be used in miraculous healing spells often deemed impossible by others. Not only did it make the healing spells more potent but it also possessed the ability to draw away negative energy from a living beings body- _Merlin I think this is it!" Gaius exclaimed.

"Well that's great Gaius, where is it?" Merlin asked praying that it was nearby. After analyzing the book for another few moments he replied. "At the bottom of the Lake of Avalon, well that's only a day's ride from here. You'd make it in no time once Honey recovers. It's just finding the Jewel that will be difficult" Merlin shot up from his chair and rushed for the door. "Thanks for your help Gaius! But unfortunately there's no time to wait for Honey!" Not giving Gaius anytime to speak Merlin ran off. He ran through the courtyard of Camelot with people eyeing him oddly as he ran through the city and onto a path. As he ran the instructions the obviously familiar voice gave him came back to his mind.

"_Changing your given shape is no easy task, even for one as powerful as you young warlock; but there is a trick to it. The trick to shape shifting is that the need of the situation must be dire. A situation in which your human form cannot accomplish as it is. The first transformation is always the hardest but it gets easier from there." _Merlin continued running out of the city and out into the wild when he knew he was far enough away from others he ran through the instructions one more time. _The need of the situation must be dire_, the voice reminded Merlin as he kept running.

"I need to make it to the Lake of Avalon as soon as possible or else someone will die. Morgana will die if I don't hurry. I NEED to HURRY!" Merlin felt the magic within him activate but unlike with every other spell he used he could feel the magic coursing through his body. He could feel his body trying to reject the spell though, and with a burst of energy Merlin forced it to accept. Merlin struggled not to stop running as he felt the magic quickly change his body and bones creaked and cracked as it began to change into a different structure, but surprisingly there was no pain. As Merlin leaped over a log that had fallen on the path he felt the final essence of the change take effect, as his front hooves landed it gave him the push he needed to increase his speed ten-fold. Merlin had successfully transformed himself into a black stag (male deer) and was running faster than he had ever thought his body would allow. His senses had changed along with his body, color was dimmed to barely more than black and white and it almost felt as if he could hear every sound the forest made around him. The large antlers on Merlin's head long and strong as he rushes on the path through the woods. Merlin had to fight the sensation to stop and graze under a number of trees with delicious looking moss, but his goal was set as he pushed his new muscles and limbs to the extent of their capability. For 7 straight hours Merlin ran undeterred in his quest to reach the Lake, when he finally made it Merlin did the un warlocish thing and stuck his deer head neck deep into the lake gulping pint after pint of water. If it pissed off the Sidhe he'd deal with it because the thirst was overwhelming his mind. He felt the magic rush out of him as he pulled his head out of the lake. He brushed his hand over his hair to seethe the water out of it. When he calmed down Merlin looked out over the lake, it made his heart drop looking at it now. So many of his friends had been buried here: Freya, Lancelot, Elyan and of course Arthur. It made Merlin pause for a minute, all of them except for Freya had been killed because of Morgana, he wondered if he was really willing to bring her back after all the pain she caused. His mind then switched over to Aithusa, she seemed extremely fond of Morgana, surely that must show some inclination that she wasn't all bad right? Merlin gave the lake a once over looking for the crystal, but there was nothing he could see. Sighing he removed his shirt, trousers, neckerchief and boots as he began wading into the lake. It was freezing cold and Merlin was already regretting going in, using a spell to enable him to breath underwater temporarily Merlin leapt into the lake in search of the Crystal of Jadira. The cool water surrounded Merlin as he searched for the crystal, he kept a wary eye out in case the sidhe decided to attack him for entering the lake. He had no idea how long he had been swimming for but he could tell that the sun was beginning to set. He knew his spell wouldn't last much longer so he made to get back to the shore, when suddenly the ground of the lake began to glow. Recognizing the color Merlin progressed lower into the lake towards the aqua tinted glow. When he got to the bottom of the lake he saw the Crystal of Jadira almost beckoning him with its glow. Merlin reached out his hand to grab the crystal, he smiled when he held grabbed it, the hard part was done or so he thought. The lake suddenly began to shudder as if an earthquake had started off in the lake vines from the bottom of the lake suddenly struck out at Merlin, wrapping around him and preventing him from moving. Merlin panicked as the vines began to drag him further down into the lake, his spell was just about to fade when his eyes managed to see a familiar sight. The sword forged with Kilgharrah's breath that he had thrown into the lake just a week ago was lying just within his reach, Merlin didn't know why he hadn't seen it before but he grabbed the hilt of the sword with his free hand and slashed at the vines. When the blade made contact a high pitched moan came from the vines as they recoiled and evidently released Merlin. He struggled to swim back up to the top but the sword was weighing him down. Reluctantly, Merlin dropped the sword and continued swimming to the surface. When he finally broke to the surface he inhaled greatly from the lack of oxygen he had been deprived of. As he pulled himself out of the lake haggardly, he flipped himself on his back as he breathed heavily grateful that he managed to get out of the lake in one piece. Once he managed to calm down he looked back out to the lake and gave a small, sad smile at realizing what happened; there was a reason that the sword had been there at the _exact _moment Merlin needed it. "Thank you Freya," he whispered under his breath. Merlin started a small fire to warm his body, and while the heat licked around his body Merlin examined the crystal. It was the same color and shape as his dream had pointed out, it had the regular shape of a cut jewel but on one of its corners it looped to form an arch Merlin examined the gem for a few more moments before putting on his clothes. He wanted to hurry back to Aithusa and Morgana but he knew that in his condition he'd never make it; after running for half a day as a deer and then spending the last half underwater there was no way he'd have the energy to move on. He quickly passed out as sleep over took him, when he woke up he moaned at how long he'd been asleep. The sun was already high in the sky meaning that Merlin easily slept the whole night and half the day away. He shot up and grabbed the crystal, enchanting it like he did the dragon scale he put it on the chain around his neck so he wouldn't lose it. Without looking back Merlin changed back into a stag and ran off to Aithusa's location. The transformation was easier this time, not as much resistance as the first time. Merlin rushed as fast as his legs would carry him, his muscles were still sore from his exertion the day before but he pushed through the pain as he ran. When he grew close he sensed Aithusa's presence as Merlin changed back just before entering the clearing he froze when he saw Morgana. The venom had spread throughout her body, apparently the venom had spread into all of Morgana's veins. Aithusa was wrapped around Morgana desperately trying to keep the poison at bay, but unfortunately she didn't have the power to make it last. When Merlin approached them Aithusa cried out desperately for Merlin to do something. Merlin removed the crystal from his chain and held it in his hands. It was then that he realized that Gaius never told him how to _use_ the crystal. He cursed at himself as Aithusa got up and nudged him over to Morgana. Merlin went to his pack that Aithusa had been faithfully watching while he was gone and pulled out his spell book, searching for anything that could help he found an incantation that was to be used specifically with the Crystal of Jadira. He went over to Morgana and positioned her gently onto his lap in a cradling position so he could position the crystal most effectively for the incantation. He put the arched tip of the crystal at the center of Morgana's chest and began reciting the incantation,_ "Bebiede gestepe Þurhhæle híe þæt heo bræd,"_ Merlin repeated the incantation and slowly moved the crystal upward on Morgana's body slowly going to her neck. As he chanted he could feel the poison resist, fighting the chant, Merlin pressed on knowing that he couldn't stop. As he progressed he began chanting the words with more power and again continued to raise the crystal to Morgana's head. Putting the tip of the crystal's arch at the corner of Morgana's mouth he watched as the poison's essence slowly entered into the crystal, Merlin continued chanting on as the poison still struggled to resist leaving Morgana's body. As he chanted he noticed that her veins had significantly improved and that they were greatly less green after every chant. Merlin began to sweat after the constant hour of taking the poison out of Morgana's body; finally Merlin knew that there was only the bare minimum of the demon's poison left in Morgana, using all of his remaining power he forced it to instantly leave Morgana's body and into the crystal. When the poison left her body Morgana gasped as if she had been holding her breath in for days. Her breathing instantly improved and her body was quickly recovering from the poisons harm. Smiling to himself Merlin eased Morgana off his lap and back onto the tree, Aithusa was ecstatic with joy as she realized Morgana was cured she bounded to her side wrapping her body around her and prmming affectionately. She looked at Merlin happily and gave a grateful roar as she rested her head back on Morgana's lap. Merlin smiled at the sight and looked down to the Crystal of Jadira, gone was its aqua glow as it was replaced with a sickly green color. Merlin knew that it was because of the poison it now contained, he also knew he'd need to learn a safe way to dispose of it before he could do such a spell again. Merlin was exhausted, more exhausted than he'd felt in years, but he couldn't rest yet. Now that Morgana was cured of her poison he knew that she would wake up at any time now. He went to his pack and received a poppet he had placed in haste the day before he left Camelot for Caerleon, he hadn't a clue if he'd of needed it or not but now he was glad he had it. He grabbed a piece of rope from his pack and tied it to the bottom end of the poppet. He then tied the other end of the rope on a branch hanging above Morgana and Aithusa. As he finished tying the rope to the branch he held the poppet one last time and uttered, _"Ontende eallne þæs drycræftes hire sawle! (Kindle all the magic of her soul)_" The poppet lit to fire as Merlin let it drop to hang above the two, it would have no effect on Aithusa but it would prevent Morgana from using her magic the next time she woke up. He then grabbed all of his possessions: his staves, spell book and the crystal, and put them in his pack. He then cast the same spell he cast on the spell book over his things, harming anyone without his permission who tried to use them. As he felt the spell take effect Merlin felt the exhaustion finally overcome him as he fell face first into the ground. All he could hope was that Morgana didn't have a very well concealed knife on her when he awoke.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 Awakening

Morgana stirred in her sleep, she had been unconscious for far too long and remembered barely anything that occurred. She thought back to the last thing she remembered fully, when Merlin had left her for dead after stabbing her in the stomach. She remembered that part perfectly…

_She had just tortured the information of Arthur's location from Gwaine, she left as soon as he revealed everything leaving him and his friend to die. She rode through the night and was fortunate to run into the two people she despised the most in life: Arthur and Merlin. Merlin had just let Arthur lean up against a rock as they looked on to the Lake of Avalon. __**So that's where they were heading**__, Morgana thought. With a quick flash of her eyes she managed to spook the two horses. On seeing there panic Merlin shot up yelling, "Whoa whoa whoa whoa, WHOA!" Not being able to contain herself Morgana approached Merlin from behind. _

"_Hello Emrys," she said coolly. As Merlin turned around she sent him flying onto his back several yards away. She then turned to the mortally wounded Arthur and approached him slowly._

"_What a joy it is to see you Arthur," Morgana teased as she reached Arthur. She looked down at the king and sneered at him. "Look at you, not so tall and mighty now," she taunted. She knelt down beside Arthur as he stared at her ruefully. "You may have won the battle but you lost the war. You're going to die by Mordred's hand." She said with an evil smile. Arthur continued to stare at Morgana without speaking, her smile vanished as she said with false concern, "Don't worry dear brother I won't let you die alone." Her voice suddenly turned much cooler and sinister, "I will stay and watch over you, till the wolves gorge on your carcass and bathe in your blood." She was too busy gloating that she hadn't heard a sword being unsheathed from behind her._

"_No," Merlin said from behind, Morgana turned around as he spoke and stared at him. "The time for all this blood shed is over." He finished as the two powerful beings stared each other down. Merlin's expression then softened as he spoke. "I blame myself for what you've become," he said almost apologetically. His voice returned to a cool nature as he said, "But, this has to end."_

"_I am a High Priestess," Morgana taunted, "no mortal blade can kill me." As she finished speaking Merlin had plunged his blade into her stomach and she released a whimper of shock from the pain. As she fell deeper onto the blade she looked up at Merlin who had a mixed look of sorrow and regret on his face._

"_This is no mortal blade," he explained looking deeply into Morgana's eyes. "Like yours it was forged in a Dragon's breath." As he finished his explanation he forced the sword deeper into Morgana. She put her hand on his shoulder for support as he slowly brought her to the ground, he did not force her off of him. She whimpered as he brought her slowly to the ground and removed the blade gently from her stomach. He then took her hand, holding it for a second longer than needed, and rested it atop of her chest. She whimpered, trying to say something, anything to the man she had once called a friend, but no words left her lips._

"_Good bye Morgana," he said regretfully. Morgana whimpered a few more times before she was engulfed by the darkness._

After that she could remember very little left. She remembered a witch approach her body hours after she had been stabbed, Morgana had been on the very verge of death. The witch had picked her up and carried her, bringing her to a horse that was waiting for them. As Morgana was strapped to the horse she was carried to a cave, a cave she recognized as a shrine to the Old Religion. Once the witch had restrained Morgana to the altar she began chanting dark magic, magic Morgause had warned her against less it corrupt Morgana's being. When she finished the spell Morgana wailed in the pain caused to her by the altar as it forced the magic from her body to fuel her spell from then on Morgana remembered nothing but darkness, feeling only the pain and poison being inflicted onto her to keep her somewhat conscious.

Days later she felt the chains drop from her body, but then reapplied to a more familiar material. She felt her body being raced away from her confinement as the altar was destroyed by a powerful magic. For the next week Morgana felt magic being poured into her healing the cuts, bruises and marks inflicted to her during her confinement. However she could feel that the powerful poison inflicted on her was still active as her health began to deteriorate. She managed to hear part of the conversation her care taker was having with someone, and she was surprised to hear that it was Aithusa.

_"I know your upset Aithusa, but I really think we should leave her-" Before he could finish Aithusa roared angrily at his comment. _

_"Aithusa come on!" Aithusa growls from the depth of her throat._

_"There isn't anything else we can do!"_

_Aithusa lets out another growl more assertive this time._

They continued to argue for a few more minutes until Morgana managed to moan out Aithusa's name. Feeling the young Dragon against her she weakly moved her hand onto her snout. For the next several days she lied there with Aithusa, the poison progressively getting worse and spreading more quickly throughout her body. Then suddenly the person with Aithusa had returned from leaving, he began to chant heavily and Morgana could feel the poison being drawn out of her body. Then suddenly, as if she had taken in a breath of air for the first time, Morgana inhaled as the last bit of poison was forced from her body. It felt like a life time since she had felt remotely healthy and she hoped that she wasn't being prepped for more torture by healing her. Morgana awoke the next day, her eyes glared by the sun unused to its brightness. She looked to her side and smiled deeply when she saw Aithusa besides her resting.

"Aithusa?" Morgana called, at hearing her friend speak Aithusa looked up and released a roar of joy as she nuzzled her friend. Morgana replied by rubbing Aithusa's head and hugging her neck deeply.

"I knew that you'd come back to save me," Morgana said gratefully still clinging to the Dragon's neck. Aithusa looked up at Morgana and shook her head, then with her tail she gestured to a figure across from them. Morgana looked up and froze at who she saw in front of her; her pent up rage and anger coursing through her veins. _Merlin_, she thought coldly as she stared at his form. He was snoring: loud, liked he didn't have a care in the world. She was going to change that very quickly for him. Standing up, she stumbled briefly but quickly gaining her balance, she aimed her hand at Merlin as she said, _"Hleap on bæc!"_ Merlin wasn't sent flying at the utterance of her spell, he merely snored louder and muttered, "Sure I'll have more chicken Gaius," Enraged by his easy going nature Morgana tried again to no avail to use magic to harm Merlin. She was getting frustrated when she noticed the poppet hanging over the spot she had been laid on. Realizing what he had done Morgana cursed Merlin's ingenious thinking.

_He prepared for the chance that I may awake before him, very clever Emrys_, Morgana thought to herself. She looked around the small camp until she noticed Merlin's pack at his feet, sticking out from the top of them were two magic staffs. Morgana smiled evilly as she reached to grab one of the staffs sticking out of Merlin's pack. The minute her hand made contact an excruciating shock went through her body sending her stumbling back towards Aithusa. She looked down at her hand, there were no wounds on her hand but the shock going through her body had made the desired effect clear. She then turned to Aithusa and gestured for her to get up.

"Come on Aithusa, let's get out of here." As Morgana moved to leave Aithusa gave a protesting growl as she remained in her lying position. Morgana gave her a surprised look as she moved over to Aithusa.

"Come on, we need to leave before he wakes up."

Aithusa shook her head whimpering slightly as she laid her head on the ground. Morgana turned her gaze back towards Merlin. Her options were limited: she couldn't use her magic, couldn't use Merlin's weapons, she had no weapons of her own and Aithusa wouldn't leave with her. She did the only thing that made any sense at the moment, she walked over towards Merlin and kicked him in the stomach: hard. When Merlin awoke he moaned loudly as he rolled onto his back clutching the spot on his stomach that Morgana had kicked him, after a fit of dry heaving he finally opened his eyes and froze when he saw Morgana looking down at him.

"Morgana," he started warily but Morgana didn't give him a chance to speak.

"You're going to tell me what's going on or I swear I will torture you within an inch of your life," Morgana demanded. To her utter disbelief Merlin was actually struggling to keep from laughing. Him. Laughing. At HER! In a fit of anger she stomped on Merlin's stomach causing him to sit up in recoil and pain. "That's a great way to thank the person who saved your life!" Merlin sputtered trying to overcome the pain. Morgana stared down at him in disbelief.

"You didn't save me, Aithusa did." Morgana stated pointing to the Dragon behind her. Aithusa had by this point walked over to Morgana's side where she shook her head and gestured to Merlin with her tail. Morgana was shocked, what happened next really surprised her. Aithusa went over to Merlin's side and helped pick himself up from the ground. When he reached his feet he patted Aithusa thankfully and muttered something to her in a language Morgana didn't recognize.

"What did you just do to Aithusa?" Morgana demanded.

"I thanked her for helping me, something you should try every now and then." Merlin shot back.

"Why would Aithusa help you?" Morgana demanded yet again. Merlin glanced over at Aithusa who made a sound while nodding towards Merlin. He turned back to Morgana and said matter of factly, "I'm the one who hatched Aithusa," Morgana froze in surprise at his statement.

"That's impossible, the only ones that could hatch a Dragon egg were the-"

"The Dragon Lords?" Merlin finished for her. He spread his arms out for added effect as he said, "You're looking at the last one." Morgana didn't know how to respond to that but it suddenly made sense. The Dragon that had killed Agravaine and his men, Aithusa failing in killing Arthur and him all those times; the battle between the Saxons and Camelot when she just flew off. She didn't believe him, that would mean that Aithusa was technically _his _Dragon.

"I don't believe you," She said, not looking at Merlin but at Aithusa. Aithusa was nodding her head as Merlin stuck out his hand and said, "_Memra Serptum!"_ A flash of blue energy enveloped Morgana as she found her location changed to an open field. _She was alone for a few minutes when she saw Merlin come running through the forest, a big goofy grin on his face. Morgana turned to face Merlin as he knelt down and yelled, "What the hell did you do Merlin? Merlin? ANSWER ME DAMN IT!" Merlin had seemingly been ignoring her, when she went to kick him her foot went right through him, literally. Morgana was about to yell again when she saw Merlin take out a tear shaped stone the size of his head out of his pack and put it on a stump. As he stood up he looked to the sky when he heard the beating of wings. Morgana also looked up and was shocked to see a giant Dragon flying towards them, it landed on the ground with a smile as it stared longingly at the stone. The Dragon and Merlin stared at each other in silence for a few moments until Merlin finally broke the silence._

"_Is it still alive? Merlin asked worriedly._

"_It can live for more than a thousand years," the Dragon said in awe. As it spoke Morgana couldn't help but notice she'd heard the voice before. She just couldn't remember when and where. Merlin had laughed in relief after hearing the Dragon's reply, and his response shocked Morgana._

"_So you __**are**__ no longer the last of your kind," the Dragon released a single chuckle as he said,_

"_It would seem not." Morgana finally realized what Merlin had done, he was showing her a memory from his past. Powerful magic that Morgause had struggled using trying to teach Morgana the Old Religion, but he had done it without a problem._

"_When will it hatch?" Merlin asked snapping Morgana out of her trance._

"_Young Dragons were called into the world by the Dragon Lords, only they had the power to summon them from the egg" The Dragon explained. "As the last Dragon Lord, this solemn duty falls to you Merlin," Morgana saw Merlin's eyes widen in bewilderment as he looked seriously at the egg._

"_How do I summon it?" he asked._

"_You must give the Dragon, a name." he explained. Merlin shrugged at the simplicity of the task. After a moments consideration he closed his eyes and, under the intuitive gaze of the Dragon, said a name that was all too familiar to Morgana. In a hybrid human/ Dragon voice Merlin called out the hatchling's name._

"_**Aithusa,"**_

_At the sound of the name the egg began making sounds, there was a crack in the upper side as a familiar purring sound came from the egg followed by a small white Dragon's head._

"_A White Dragon, she is indeed a rare thing," the Dragon said as he observed the new born's hatching. "And fitting, for in the Dragon Tongue you named her after the light of the sun." As they continued to watch Aithusa hatch from her egg the Dragon continued speaking of the meaning of Aithusa's hatching. _

"_No Dragon birth is without meaning. Sometimes the meaning is hard to see, but this time I believe it is clear. The White Dragon bodes well for Albion; for you and Arthur and the land you'll build together." Merlin's eyes never left Aithusa as she hatched, being close to tears as he watched her. Aithusa had now fully broken through from her egg as she spread out her wings and presented herself to Merlin. Merlin looked upon her with great fondness as he looked down at her as the young Dragon said one word to him that brought the tears flowing from his eyes._

"_Father,"_

Morgana then found herself looking at Merlin and the more grown Aithusa as they watched her, Merlin's eyes were clouded from tears he refused to shed.

"When I first learned Aithusa couldn't speak," Merlin said fighting back the tears, "I thought that you had put some kind of spell on her, a way to manipulate her." He sniffed to himself as he put a loving hand on Aithusa. "That reason more than anything I wanted to make you pay for what you'd done, but now I know that's not why she follows you. She cares for you genuinely as a friend."

"What are you getting at?" Morgana demanded only just being able to hold back her own emotions from seeing a display of affection in Merlin's memories.

"This is the one and only reason I'm not going to kill you again Morgana," he said in a clear neutral tone, surprising her.

"What do you mean?" Morgana demanded confused. Merlin uttered to Aithusa again in the Dragon Tongue and she bowed her head before nuzzling him affectionately. Merlin then returned his gaze to Morgana.

"The ban on magic in Camelot and the 5 kingdoms has been lifted, so there's no reason for you to want to attack them again. As long as you don't try to attack another kingdom I'll let everyone think your still dead; but if you plot evil, for any reason, Aithusa will come to me and I will kill you myself." Merlin's words stunned Morgana; she stood there frozen for a few moments as she watched him pick up his bag and turned to leave. As he was about to leave the clearing Morgana called out to him angrily.

"WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?" she demanded her voice cracking from her mix of emotion. Merlin stopped walking but didn't look back. "You've been given a second chance Morgana, don't waste it by attempting to rekindle forgotten grudges, and stay away from Camelot. I doubt you'd be given a friendly reception by the Queen or the knights." Merlin left then, leaving her and Aithusa alone in the clearing. Aithusa called out to Merlin one last time before he left, and then went to comfort Morgana. She fell to her knees at the realization of what had just happened. She cried to herself, putting her head in her hands to try and muffle the sound. The only thing there to comfort her was the caring presence of Aithusa wrapping around her as she cried.

AN: Thanks for the review from the last story guys! Hopefully I made the edits a few of you pointed out. I am returning to school tomorrow though so I'm not sure If I'll be able to dish these stories out as quickly as I used to, but I'll do my best and hopefully my story is good enough for you all to want to wait for the next chapter. Thanks for reading and please Review!


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8 New Beginnings?

Merlin had walked the long four day trek back to Camelot. He did not change his shape this time due to still being tired from running the past two days and to give him some time to think to himself. He was worried, now that it had already been done, that letting Morgana go was a bad idea. Gaius was right when he said healing her was risky, there are far too many factors to put into play concerning Morgana. All he knew was that he would know immediately if Morgana planned anything. It was hard for him to leave Aithusa with her but it was the only way that he could know what Morgana was doing. As Merlin stopped right on the outskirts of Camelot a thought crossed his mind; what was he to do with himself now? He defeated the demon threat Kilgharrah had warned him about before it happened, Morgana was being watched by Aithusa insuring she wouldn't try anything; there was nothing left for Merlin to do unless Morgana _did _decide to start another war, and he wouldn't want to hope for that.

As he walked into the gates of the castle he was eyed by a number of the knights, Leon being one of them. He knew that most of the knights still had old prejudices against magic but it was just tiresome, Merlin actually missed the week he spent healing Morgana to an extent. There were no glaring eyes, no one judging him for having magic, he was able to practice his magic without worried glances and he was able to spend each day with Aithusa. As he walked into Gaius's chambers he was met by Gaius and a knight, one Merlin did not recognize. When Gaius saw him he approached him.

"Ah Merlin there you are, the Queen learned that you have returned and has requested our presence in her chambers," he said. Merlin nodded and turned to look at the knight.

"Could you just give me a few minutes please? I'd like to change out of these clothes." When the knight nodded and left Gaius shut the door behind him, as he turned his expression was replaced with slight worry. "How did it go?" he asked. Merlin put his pack on the table and pulled out the Crystal of Jadira and tossed it to Gaius who examined it almost excitedly.

"Merlin this is an extremely old and powerful artifact, you must be careful as to not let it fall into the wrong hands," Gaius warned.

"Not to worry Gaius," Merlin assured, "I've been putting the spell I placed on my books over my pack and possessions, and we'll be fine for the moment." Merlin fell into a chair exhausted as he rubbed at his neck. Gaius took the seat across from him and gave him a once over.

"I'm assuming that you were successful in the healing?" Gaius asked avoiding the use of Morgana's name in case the guard was eavesdropping.

"The crystals green coloring is from the poison, it was an aqua color originally," Merlin exclaimed.

"Fascinating," Gaius exclaimed examining the crystal again. As he handed the crystal back to Merlin he asked, "What do you intend to tell Gwen about your absence? Annis already sent her thanks about you defeating that monster a week ago," Merlin put the Crystal of Jadira back in the enchanted bag and looked back up at Gaius.

"I'll tell her the truth, I'll just leave out a few key points if she gets to curious." Gaius nodded at Merlin's plan when they heard a knocking sound coming from the outside of the door. Gaius rolled his eyes as he yelled, "THE BOY JUST GOT BACK FROM _WALKING_ TO CAMELOT, GIVE HIM A MINUTE!" The knocking stopped and alarmed footsteps scattered outside the door. Merlin and Gaius smiled at each other for a moment before Merlin got up to change. When they entered the Main Chamber it was just Gwen and a few knights who she immediately sent away when Merlin and Gaius entered the chambers. Gaius bowed, followed by Merlin muttering "Milady," as Gwen rose from her throne.

"Merlin," she scolded good humoredly, "I told you not to call me that." Merlin smiled as she approached him and gave him a quick hug. When she pulled away she was still smiling as she gestured for Merlin and Gaius to sit at the round table with her. "Queen Annis sent a message a week ago that you managed to defeat the witch attacking her lands."

"Yes, but it wasn't what either of us had expected." Merlin then went into discussing what happened since his leaving for Caerleon. He left out anything concerning Aithusa and Morgana but told her about the witch who attacked Caerleon, how she managed to escape and how it was the physician's assistant the whole time. He told Gwen how she had pulled a demon from beyond the veil, and the glamour used to make it look like a witch, making her seem innocent. He also explained how she had been drawing power from an altar of the Old Religion.

"Well that is a… disturbing story, but why did you come running to Camelot a few days ago but left a few hours later?" Gwen asked. Merlin cursed under his breath, he didn't have an explanation for that. Thankfully Gaius came through with a plausible reason.

"That was my fault milady, I had contacted him afraid that some form of enchantment was performed over a number of my books, fortunately it was just Merlin being overprotective. He lifted the spell and rested before rushing out again." Gwen nodded believing the story without hesitation.

"Well I'm glad that you were able to aid Annis, her allegiance with us is important and it is good to keep the bond between us strong."

"I'm glad to have been able to help," Merlin said bowing again. Gwen smiled as her expression turned slightly more serious for a moment. "Have you considered my offer on becoming Camelot's Court Magician?" she asked. Merlin sighed, he had forgotten about the offer.

"In all honesty Gwen I haven't thought about it since I left." Merlin replied.

"What would it take to convince you Merlin? Name it and if it's within my power I'll grant it to you." Merlin thought for a second, there really wasn't anything he wanted. Nothing Gwen could give him anyway.

"What would my duties consist of?" Merlin asked.

"Well you would have a position on the council and would be my advisor in all things magic related. You would also receive a weekly stipend as does Gaius and the other councilors." Merlin thought about it for a few moments and realized that it'd give him something to work for, something to give him a purpose.

"Alright Gwen I'll agree to become the Court Magician, but there is one thing that I'd like." Merlin said.

"Name it Merlin," Gwen said happily.

"I'm sure that Gaius has missed sleeping in his room since I came to Camelot, I request that I be given my own quarters."

"Done," Gwen said immediately. "I'll arrange to have a room set up for you in the Castle immediately."

"Actually, if it's not too much trouble, I'd prefer being out in the town." Merlin said. Gwen thought for a moment and then nodded. "Would my old home do? I've kept it in my ownership since I became Queen and it's been empty ever since."

"That would be perfect, thank you" Merlin said smiling. Gwen returned the smile as the three of them arose from their seats.

"That's great Merlin, I'll begin working on the ceremony to make it official. In the meantime allow me to be the first to-"

"MY QUEEN!" Leon interrupted bursting into the Main Chambers.

"Sir Leon I remember requesting that my meeting with Merlin and Gaius not be interrupted." Gwen said sternly to the knight.

"I apologize my Queen but there's been an incident, Sir Gavin has been injured." He then turned a suspicious eye towards Merlin as he said, "It happened after he touched Merlin's pack." Merlin sat up straighter at the statement that someone had tried to go into his bag.

"Why was he touching my bag?" Merlin asked. Leon returned his question with another suspicious glare.

"Sir Gavin noticed something suspicious about your bag and when he went to examine its contents he was sent flying through the door."

"I placed that enchantment on my bag, and he had no right to go in my bag to begin with!" Merlin exclaimed angrily.

"As a knight Sir Gavin had every right to-"

"No, he didn't." Gwen interrupted Leon coolly.

"But my Queen, if there was an item of risk in that bag-"

"Merlin has proven to be loyal to Camelot time and time again, and as Camelot's Court Magician Sir Gavin broke a sacred trust attempting to invade his privacy." Leon staggered after hearing of Merlin's new title.

"My Queen I apologize, I had no idea-" Leon was interrupted by Gwen holding up her hand signaling for him to stop. She then turned to Merlin and asked, "Merlin has Sir Gavin been inflicted with any permanent damage?"

"The spell is designed to shock anyone who didn't have my permission to touch my bag and what's in it, if he meant to do something against me it would be more painful than if it was by accident." Merlin explained. Nodding from the explanation she turned back to face Sir Leon.

"I want Sir Gavin to be relieved of duty for a few weeks as punishment for trying to get into the Court Magician's belongings without reason."

"Yes… my Queen," Leon said. He bowed to the Queen and shot Merlin another look as he left the chamber. As Merlin and Gaius left the Main Chamber they began to converse quietly amongst themselves.

"What was Gavin doing in your chambers Gaius?"

"I haven't a clue, maybe he heard you talking about the crystal and thought to steal it." Gaius suggested. Merlin shook his head. "No if that was the case he wouldn't have been injured so badly, just a shock like when you touched it." Gaius shook his head in disbelief at the knight.

"It seems that Leon has been eyeing you as well," Gaius pointed out.

"Yeah, apparently he doesn't like that I managed to hide having magic for the years I was in Camelot and not getting punished. I'll have to keep an eye on the knights from now on." Merlin said.

"I guess it's a good thing that you'll have your own home now," Gaius said humorously. Merlin responded with a smile, "I guess so, you'll have to come by for dinner once I'm settled in."

"Oh I look forward to it Merlin," Gaius said with a giant grin on his face. The two both started laughing as they both returned to Gaius's chamber for their last night together. True to her word Gwen had arranged for the official inauguration ceremony for the following day. All of the Lords and Ladies of Camelot were at the event along with the knights. Gwen was at her throne standing in front of Merlin, who was dressed in a fine and elaborate crimson and gold robe Gwen had picked out for him while holding his white staff in his hands. As she began the inauguration ceremony he bowed on one knee as she went through the speech and finished by having Merlin swear his vows.

"Do you swear to protect Camelot and her Queen?"

"I do,"

"Do you swear to protect the Kingdom and all who inhabit it?"

"I do,"

"Then rise Merlin, Court Magician of Camelot!" As Merlin rose the Lords and Ladies at the ceremony clapped and cheered enthusiastically while most of the knights followed in suit aside from Sir Leon and a close group of his fellow knights. In the time to follow after Merlin's inauguration as the Court Magician the people of Camelot were able to realize that Merlin was a good person and that magic didn't make him evil, the exact opposite of the years Uther spent preaching against it. He had settled in very nicely in Gwen's old home, _his _home. He laid out his books on the shelf (enchanting the ones that were more dangerous) and hung up Magical artifacts along the walls. He kept his staves and the Crystal of Jadira in a cabinet all enchanted to prevent theft or access to them without his permission. He also placed a familiar spell on the home to keep out those who would try to break in, only he and Gaius had full access to the home. Even though they were no longer living together they spent a lot of their time together from either meetings for the council, practicing new spells or just the evenings they would have dinner together, which was nearly every night. Merlin hadn't heard from Aithusa for a time and he took that as a good sign that Morgana had hopefully reformed and changed her ways, although Merlin drastically missed the little Dragon and planned to visit her as soon as time would allow him.

What Merlin loved more than all was his freedom, he was practicing magic openly without fear of being caught and executed. While he worked extensively on the spells in his book he experimented in his shape shifting abilities. He could now transform into a number of animals at will without his body resisting the change, the only difficulty Merlin had was while he was a bird and attempted to fly. That apparently would take time. Four months passed with Merlin as Court Magician and things had changed dramatically in Camelot. One of the first things Merlin did was extend an olive branch to the Druids, with the council's permission he managed to allow trade and good relations to occur between Camelot and the Druids and even earned one of their elders a seat on the council. They were as ecstatic as Merlin for not being hunted and gave him their deepest condolences, knowing it was he who was responsible. Merlin was also able to draw a few other sorcerers not of the Druids to Camelot to help in everyday life and some even took positions with the knights, much to the dismay of Leon and other knights dating back to Uther's rule. It was a calmness that was contagious as the other kingdoms followed Camelot's example and for a time everything was at peace; until they found a body. A knight had brought the body of a young boy to Gaius, his skin was scratched and scarred and he had a sickly green hue to his body.

"Where did you find him?" Gaius had asked.

"He was among a group of bodies out on the path of the outskirts of Camelot, he was the only one alive." Gaius examined the boy and noted that he was very weak and his condition was deteriorating. Gaius went to his vials and mixed a quick potion which he gave to the boy. He began to fear the worse when his condition failed to improve.

"His body isn't recovering from the discoloration so it's not an infection," Gaius mumbled to himself. "That means it can only be poison." Realizing gravely what it was he turned to the knight and said with great urgency, "Go to the Court Magician's home immediately, and tell him to bring his healing instrument. Hurry!" Moments later Merlin came rushing in with his white staff and the Crystal of Jadira. When he saw the boy his eyes widened in recognition.

"Do you know what this is Merlin?" Gaius asked expectantly.

"This looks like the poison that the demon infected into our 'friend' but to a lesser degree." Merlin said worriedly. He took the crystal and began to chant the spell to remove the poison from the boy. Merlin had now learned that to cleanse the Crystal of Jadira of collected negative energies you had to wait a sufficient amount of time depending on the amount of negative energy collected. This small amount was minimal and was quickly removed without a hassle. When finished Merlin turned to Gaius worriedly.

"This can't be good Gaius, demons shouldn't be passing through the veil."

"Could someone else be pulling them through?" Gaius suggested.

"I didn't think anyone other than Marion knew how to do so, and even she needed the combined power of a High Priestess to help her." The two looked to the boy when he began to stir, his eyes opened weakly as they shot around the room and then at Merlin and Gaius.

"Are you alright son?" Gaius asked.

"Where's my family? Where are my mom and dad?" The boy asked whimpering.

"Do you remember what happened? It's very important you tell us anything you can." Gaius said calmly. The young boy sniffed back his tears as he thought back to what happened. "We were taking our goods to trade in Camelot; father said he'd buy me a practice sword afterwards."

"That's good my boy, keep going" Gaius coaxed.

"Suddenly these monsters jumped out of nowhere and attacked us," The boy began to cry at the recollection of what happened. "My parents are dead aren't they?" Gaius looked to Merlin and then back to the boy. He then went to his desk and grabbed a dark blue vial, when he returned to the boy's side he gently put it to the boy's lips.

"Here drink this, it'll help." The boy took two mouthfuls and fell asleep instantly. When he turned to Merlin's confused gaze he held the bottle out for Merlin to see.

"Sleeping draught," Gaius explained. "A weaker one but it will keep the boy calm and without nightmares as he sleeps. Merlin nodded as he began pacing around the room thinking. Gaius could tell that Merlin was worried about the reappearance of the demon poison, and worse off that Marion had somehow survived.

"Merlin, are you alright?" Gaius finally asked. Merlin stopped pacing and looked at Gaius with a pained expression on his face.

"We need to alert the Council," Merlin said gravely. It only took the council 20 minutes to gather even though it was late at night. In the council there were six members, only three of which had been involved since Uther's reign; those men were Gaius as the Court Physician, Sir Leon the Captain of the Guard, and Geoffery of Monmouth the Court Genealogist and record keeper. Then there was Gwen of course as the Queen and head of the council, Merlin as the Court Magician and Drygor as the Druid representative. Everyone but Drygor had bags under their eyes having been woken up during sleep for this meeting but after Merlin and Gaius's explanation everyone was wide awake.

"The boy said that he and his family were attacked by monsters?" Gwen asked, already familiar with them from Merlin's previous encounter. Merlin nodded as he said calmly,

"The boy was poisoned by the same way someone I met several months ago was, but not as severe a case," Merlin exclaimed.

"Is this toxin spread by magic?" Leon asked suspiciously. It was Gaius who answered him.

"No, from what we can tell these creatures can't use magic on their own, but if they break the skin of their victim their instantly poisoned, it gets worse as time progresses and we've yet to see what happens if the poison is left to kill its victims"

"What about the boy's parents?" Geoffery asked, "Were they not poisoned?"

"The boy's parents were found with their throats ripped out; I doubt the poison had any time to take effect." Leon answered coolly.

"How are these monstrosities appearing though? If what Merlin says is true and they are creatures from beyond the veil then someone must be summoning them." Drygor said seriously. Drygor was an older member of the Druids and a well-spoken man when discussing things that could harm Camelot and his people, while not particularly powerful in magic he was quite knowledgeable and his people (along with many of Camelot's recipients) trusted him as well.

"I believed that I had caused the cave to cave in on the woman who had summoned the demon, although I admit that I couldn't really check her condition." Merlin admitted.

"Regardless we need to find these creatures, destroy them, and prevent them from crossing the veil in the future." Gwen announced. "Are there any suggestions?" she asked. The council members spoke silently for a few moments to themselves when Gaius stood up from his seat.

"My lady I have an idea, if I may speak." Gaius waited for Gwen to permit it before he began explaining his idea. "I suggest that we first check the cave that Merlin defeated the witch at and examine it to see if she managed to escape or not, this way we can determine whether or not she survived or if we are fighting a new enemy."

"Who would we send? Chances are the demons will be in high numbers by the cave." Gwen pointed out.

"I will go," Merlin said standing from his seat beside Gaius. "I've been there before and whether the witch is alive or not I'm probably one of the only sorcerers in Camelot strong enough to manage the veil or the demons." Gwen considered this for a few moments before nodding in agreement saying,

"I agree, but I insist you bring a company of knights for protection." Gwen ordered.

"I volunteer to go my Queen," Sir Leon said standing with his fist to his chest.

"I do not think that is a wise idea my lady, this is risky enough to send one councilor to face an unknown foe, but two is an unnecessary hazard." Drygor said calmly. Before Leon could object Gwen was already nodding in agreement. "I agree Drygor, Merlin will leave with a company of soldiers of his picking, and hopefully this crisis can be diverted." She then turned to Merlin and stared at him intently.

"Merlin I want you to pick your men and leave first thing in the morning. The sooner that we can resolve this conflict the better, this council meeting is adjourned." As the Councilors rose to return to their chambers Leon pulled Merlin aside to speak to him in private.

"Merlin I insist that you bring me with you, as Captain of the Guard it is my job to-"

"It is your job to protect Camelot and ready the men in case of war," Merlin interrupted. "Any matters dealing with magic are to be handled by me." As he spoke Leon's face grew slightly red in anger at being denied by Merlin. He had still not accepted the fact that Merlin had as much power or even more so than Leon in results to politics or decisions in Camelot, he still saw Merlin as the servant he was able to pick on for years. He walked away in a huff as Merlin sighed in content, he walked back towards his home to pack and decide who to bring on the mission, and hopefully this wouldn't result in another big journey.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 The Companies Quest

Merlin and his company of men had ridden for the past three days and were approaching the cavern Merlin and Aithusa had saved Morgana from and defeated Marion. Merlin's Company consisted of ten knights of Camelot, one of them being Percival along with three sorcerers that Merlin had handpicked from the sorcerers of Camelot. The three of them weren't Druids and weren't born with magic like Merlin was but they were still fairly powerful and quite talented with their skills. One of the sorcerer's names was Henry; Henry was a tall well-built man wearing leather armor along with a hooded cloak. Henry was known around the realms as one of the best trackers known to man, even without the use of magic. On his own he could follow the trail of anything, man or beast, by a simple breaking of a branch or faded foot prints; but with magic he could visually see the last movements someone had done while in that area, all he needed was something that belonged to the target. At his waist and in his vest were a number of knives that Merlin could never count how many he had.

The other two sorcerers, Mitch and Max, were twins; which was rare enough to begin with but they both could use magic making them a double threat. The only downfall was that they couldn't use their magic on their own, they always had to be within each other's company and to chant the same spell simultaneously, however this also doubled the power of all of their spells making them powerful adversaries to any foe. They wore simple tunics and leggings with iron greaves on their arms and swords at their belt. They were but three of the sorcerers Merlin had helped on their entrance to Camelot and took them under his wing, along with dozens more who idolized Merlin for all he's done. Although many had pledged their services to the Crown it was Merlin that they followed loyally. The knights were also handpicked by Merlin because they were relatively new as knights and didn't have any biased opinions on sorcery. Percival was the only original knight of the round table left (not counting Leon) and had held no ill wishes towards Merlin for having magic.

"You'd always have been a good sport and a great friend Merlin, magic don't change that about you," he had said when Merlin asked if it bothered him. He was still wary of magic after Gwaine's death but unlike Leon he didn't become suspicious of Merlin for lying about it. Merlin was relieved to know that he had at least one friend in the knights and was more than willing to pick him for the quest, much to Leon's anger. They were only a few hours ride away from the cave when the sun began set. Looking around Merlin said, "We'll set up camp here and head to the cave in the morning, I want us all well rested just in case," At his command the men dismounted from their horses and set up camp, the knights went out to gather firewood while the four sorcerers put up enchantments around the camp for protection. When the knight returned with the fire wood Mitch and Max lit the lot of it with an utterance of the word, _"Forbearnan," _Each of the several piles of wood were lit instantly providing light and warmth to the company.

Merlin, not able to break the habit, began cooking for the group as the rest joked and played music waiting for the meal. The twins each had a set of pipes and Henry had a small harp he had made years ago, it didn't take much for the trio to start playing music while the knights sang along. Merlin couldn't help but be swept in with the high spirits that on a number of occasions he had nearly burnt the stew. As soon as everyone had eaten they all started pulling out their blankets to catch some sleep. Merlin didn't bother pulling out his blankets planning to take the first watch.

"Once my time is done Henry, you'll take next watch followed by Fredrick and Reiger," Merlin had issued. When no one complained Merlin walked a bit out of the camp and sat on the top of a rock, he closed his eyes as he listened to the sounds of the earth. It was a beautiful sound, owls hooting, wind moaning, crickets chirping it was music in itself and Merlin loved it all. It was then that he heard a loud, farfetched roar he knew was meant for his ears alone. He smiled as he heard Aithusa roar out to him, since they couldn't visit each other often due to their positions they worked out a way to speak to each other by roaring in the Dragon Tongue, so long as he listened for it Aithusa called to him almost every night. He responded in turn shouting back to the young Dragon as he heard bushes moving from behind him. He turned around quickly only to see Percival approach him.

"Sorry, didn't mean to frighten you," Percival teased. Merlin shot him a bemused smile.

"What scare me? Nah you must be imagining things." He shot back as Percival sat beside Merlin. They stared out at the woods for a few minutes in silence before Percival finally broke the silence.

"What do we expect to find tomorrow?" he asked.

"If we're lucky, that witches burnt, charred corpse." Merlin answered.

"And if we're not?" Percival asked. Before Merlin could react a blinding light went off behind them, Merlin recognized it as Henry's spell to warn him of a hostile in the area, followed by the loud griffin roars managed by Mitch and Max.

"Something's happened at the camp!" Merlin shouted running back to the camp with Percival in tow with his sword already drawn. When they made it back Merlin's eyes widened in shock, in their camp was a number of demons looking exactly like the one Marion had at her side all those months ago, but now there were more of them and they were attacking the company. Two of the knights were already down while the others were grouped together defending each other. The demons began advancing on the group ignoring Merlin and Percival, giving Merlin time to shout a spell.

"_Gehæftan!" _he shouted over the screeching of the demons. Suddenly roots from the surrounding trees shot up from the ground either enwrapping or impaling them. When the other saw Merlin and Percival they sighed with relief as they quickly went to finish off the entrapped demons. When all was done Merlin bent over to the first of the fallen knights.

"What happened?" He asked pulling out the Crystal of Jadira.

"They came out of nowhere," Henry said, still in shock from the experience. "They managed to avoid our spells somehow and took down Reiger and Eric." Merlin was about to perform the spell but it was too late, the two fallen knights had already died. Merlin looked away sadly as he stood from his position.

"This attack only proves that something is amiss," Merlin started. "We must continue the rest of our mission with increased diligence and awareness." He then turned to two other knights and told them to grab the corpses and wrap them in blankets, the least Merlin could do was give their families a body to mourn. No one really slept that night, everyone was too worried they'd be attacked again, Merlin didn't blame them. By the time the sun had risen everyone had already packed up and mounted their horses, it only took an hour for the company to make it to the cave. As they dismounted they all looked at the mouth of the cave, a hole had torn through the rocks that were blocking the entrance and it almost looked like the rocks had _melted_. Turning to the others Merlin said, "Alright here's the plan: Percival, Henry and I will go in and look around. The rest of you stay here and stand guard, Mitch Max if you get attacked again I want you to level the area understand?" When he was met with only agreement (and excited smiles from the twins) the three went into the cave. As they progressed Merlin saw that a lot of the stones looked as if they were melted, it definitely wasn't like that when he left months ago. Then again he wasn't really paying attention. Henry and Merlin had to magically move hundreds of stones out of their path until they finally made it to the end where the altar once stood. There was no corpse much to Merlin's dismay but there was a red stain on the floor of dried blood.

"Is this where her body fell?" Henry asked touching the dried blood in-between his fingers.

"Yes, is there enough for you to use?" Merlin asked. Henry didn't reply his eyes just glowed as his magic showed him Marion's final movements in the cave. After a few minutes he came out of his trance with his hand to his head, Percival and Merlin rushed to his side to check his condition.

"Are you alright?" Percival asked. Henry nodded as he looked over at Merlin.

_It is not good Merlin_, Henry said mentally to Merlin. The Druids had taught this to most of the sorcerers as a way to commune privately amongst themselves. Merlin getting Henry's hint nodded and turned to Percival.

"Go make sure everyone up top is ok, I'll make sure that Henrys alright."

"You sure?" he asked worriedly. Merlin gave him an assuring smile.

"Of course, unless you think two sorcerers can't find their way out of a cave on their own," he joked. Percival returned the smile as he walked out of the altar chamber. When they couldn't hear his footsteps any more Merlin turned to Henry seriously.

"What did you see?" Merlin asked. Henry put his hand to his head again as he thought.

"It was… strange, dark. I know no other way to describe it."

"What happened?"

"The witch was on the floor; her body was barely formed from serious burns rocks atop of her. She was speaking in some kind of strange language, not magic either. None that I could recognize anyway; but anyway once she finished chanting this gray… mist appeared, but it wasn't really mist, I couldn't see its true form."

"It must have been another demon," Merlin assumed. He was angry at himself that he hadn't personally taken care of Marion when he had the chance, he shouldn't have assumed that the rocks would kill her.

"Did anything else happen?" Merlin asked.

"Yes… they spoke in that strange language again-and suddenly her body just disappeared."

"What do you mean disappear?" Merlin asked confused. Henry just shook his head.

"I haven't a clue but a strange voice did say something that I could understand before I was snapped back."

"What did it say?" Merlin asked frantically.

"_The High Priestess dies first_, whatever that means." At hearing the words Merlin froze and paled, so Marion was still around and she was planning to go after Morgana. Morgana had gotten into no trouble since he had let her go with Aithusa months ago and he'd be the first to know if there was, but at hearing this Merlin began to worry about Morgana and Aithusa.

"Do you know when it happened?" Merlin demanded, his tone surprised Henry.

"No, for all I know it was done right after you took out this cave; but Merlin there were other beings in this cave weren't there?" Merlin gave Henry a stare that hoped hid his confusion.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Merlin please don't insult me, I can't tell who it was but aside from you and the witch there were two more beings in this cave both born with magic. Like the High Priests and Priestesses were." Merlin was about to make up an excuse when Henry held out his hand for him not to bother.

"I'm sure that if it was a risk to Camelot you would have told us Merlin, I won't tell anyone. You have my word." Merlin nodded in thanks as the two left the cave, Merlin didn't have time to worry about Henry possibly knowing about Morgana being alive, all that mattered was that they get to Camelot: and fast.

"So this witch is still alive then is she?" Gwen asked as Merlin and his company were presented after their quick return to Camelot.

"In some form yes my Queen, Henry's spell proved that but we've no clue how she's been altered." Merlin said.

"And you all ran into these demons? More of them in fact then before?"

"Yes Milady, there were at least a dozen of them," Percival answered. Gwen frowned at her thrown as she looked out the window of the main chamber. She then turned to Leon who was standing at her side.

"I want the patrol and guard doubled, if this woman attacks Camelot I don't want to be caught off guard."

"Yes Milady," Leon said as he left the room with Percival and the rest of Merlin's company.

"You are going after her," Gwen said. It wasn't a question just a statement.

"I have to," Merlin said calmly. "I'm the only one who can stop her." Gwen looked at him and finally nodded. "Be careful Merlin, I don't want to lose you," Merlin bowed as he left the Chamber. Before he went to his home he stopped at Gaius's chambers where he found him writing a letter.

"Your leaving again are you?" Gaius said not looking up.

"I have to, she must have been back for a while to summon multiple demons. I can't let her get any more powerful." Gaius nodded as he sealed his letter. He then got up and handed it to Merlin.

"What's this," he asked looking at it.

"It's a letter, I want you to deliver it to Alice when you go see her. I believe she is in Lamont" Merlin looked at him confused.

"What do you mean when I go see her?"

"Merlin please, Alice is the only one we know of who can shed a light on the demons, even Kilgharrah's knowledge is limited. I guarantee that Alice will know something about what's going on." He explained. Merlin nodded as he put the letter in his pocket. Gaius then embraced Merlin before letting him go.

"Be careful," He said as Merlin left. When Merlin got to his house he decided to travel light, he would only bring his white staff, the Crystal of Jadira and a sack of gold from his stipend. By the time he was out of Camelot he was already running on all fours to Lamont. Gaius was right, if he was going to fight these demons he'd need to get some inside info about them, and Alice was the only one who could help.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10 A Brief History of Demons

It was a short run to the town of Lamont, Merlin managed to get there before the sun had set and began looking for Alice. Merlin was rather pleased with himself from the time he made, since he had been able to change his shape almost instantly he abandoned riding a horse unless he was in a group. He felt that it was the only way he was physically getting exercise but he was happy with the progress. As he walked into the small town he approached a middle aged woman who was sweeping the steps of her home.

"Excuse me," he asked politely, "I'm looking for a woman named Alice, do you know where I can find her?"

"Are you injured dear?" the woman asked with motherly concerned.

"No I'm fine," he assured her. "My master is an old friend of hers and he asked me to deliver this message for him." He held up the note Gaius had written for Alice to show the woman. The woman smiled and gave Merlin directions to where she could be found. As Merlin made his way to Alice's small home he knocked a few times on her door. He waited for a few moments until the door opened to reveal a surprised Alice in the door way.

"Merlin, what are you doing here? Is something wrong?" she asked worriedly.

"I need your help Alice," Merlin said simply. He didn't want to say what was wrong out in the open and was relieved when she invited him in. When he entered her home he saw many of the ornaments she had hung in Camelot after healing someone in the corners of her home along with ancient magical books surrounding her desk. As he removed his pack and staff from his back he took a seat at the table while Alice brought him a cup of tea.

"So what's the problem Merlin, is Gaius alright?" Alice asked. Merlin nodded as he brought the cup to his lips, it scalded his tongue and throat but he ignored it, he needed something to drink after the run over here. "He's fine Alice, he actually wanted me to give you this." He reached into his pack and handed the letter to her. She took the letter from him gently and opened it, as she read the letter she smiled warmly and put a hand over her heart.

"Gaius was always a charmer," she said, whether to Merlin or herself he didn't know but Merlin was more stunned to hear his mentor referred to as a charmer. Alice set down the letter and took a seat across from Merlin at the table.

"I'm guessing you're not just here to deliver letters though Merlin, what's the problem?" Merlin went on telling her the story of meeting Marion and about the demons she had been summoning along with the pack of them that had attacked a few days ago and Henry's description of a black shadow taking Marion's body. Alice's gaze turned glassy for a while as she listened and Merlin worried he had touched a sore subject bringing up the demons.

"Well if this Marion girl does live she's messing with dark and forbidden magic. Messing with the veil is one thing, but to pull demons from it is against the rules of magic." She said with a hard tone.

"I thought that the High Priests and Priestesses allowed the practice of all magic," Merlin stated recalling Gaius saying that he and Alice had both practiced black magic for a time.

"They do, but this is an exception Merlin." Alice said, she looked reluctant to continue but saw the concern in Merlin's eyes and sighed.

"Across the veil are both creatures of evil, demons, and creatures of purity, spirits. The spirits are nothing to be worried or afraid of, they want nothing to do with the mortal world or its inhabitants. Demons on the other hand despise the land beyond the veil, they see it as a prison and always struggle to escape."

"Do they escape often?" Merlin asked. Alice shook her head.

"No. Most demons while in the veil can't use the required magic to travel through the veil. They require a human sorcerer to summon them, and in most cases they possess the one who summoned them." She paused for a moment as her gaze turned glassy again before finally muttering sadly, "Like when I summoned the Manticore."

"I'm sorry to make you go through this Alice, but I need to know anything that could help fight these things, or to at least prevent them from crossing the veil again." Merlin said, regret and apology in his voice. Alice nodded and grabbed an old, tattered book from the shelf behind her. She turned through several pages until she found the page she was looking for, she then turned it to Merlin.

"Most of the demons from beyond the veil represent a sin of men: Wrath, Greed, Lust, and Pride. With the exception of Pride, which is the strongest of the four, they generally are weak and are able to be controlled by a powerful enough sorcerer, but Pride demons are. much more powerful. They can use dark magic's to pierce the veil and coerce weak minded sorcerers to summon them. It doesn't take long after that for them to possess who ever summoned it." Merlin looked over the book and saw something that confused him.

"But Alice, it says right here that a demon needs permission to possess someone though, otherwise it harms the 'host'," Merlin pointed out.

"Your right Merlin," Alice agreed. "That's the one thing that makes the lesser demons rarely a problem, but you have to remember that normally who ever summons them wants the demon's power. That allows the demon to trick the summoner of the demon to allow it to possess them."

"Is there a way to separate the possessed person from the demon?" Merlin asked. Alice shook her head sadly.

"No, unless the demon in control's physical form is destroyed no there's no way, you would have to kill the possessed person. It's unfortunate but necessary, but even these monstrosities aren't the worst of the veil's creatures."

"What do you mean?" Merlin asked.

"As I said before Pride Demons are the most powerful demon in the veil, some reach such high levels of power they become entities known as Greater Demons. If one was brought into the living world, by accident or on purpose, could bring the world as we know it to its knees." Alice said grimly.

"Has this ever happened before?" Merlin asked.

"Once," Alice said. "It was centuries ago before the ban was made on messing with the veil. It was the Caileach was the one to do it accidently, guarding the veil was to be her eternal punishment entrusted by the High Priestesses and spirits of the fade."

"What happened?" Merlin asked interestedly.

"She tried to summon a demon to lend her power in a spell, I know not what spell but it went horridly wrong. She summoned a Pride Demon and allowed it to work the magic through her. It possessed her body, destroyed her essence and razed half the world for 50 years unopposed."

"How'd they stop it?"

"The High Priests and Priestesses formed a deal with the Dragons and a spirit of the veil to destroy the demon."

"The Dragons?" Merlin asked.

"Yes, demons are immune to most forms of magic, but Dragon fire is very lethal to them for some reason. Anyway it took three Priests, three Priestesses and a Dragon to perform the act. The Priests and Priestesses channeled the spirit into the living world and the spirit combined its self with the Dragon giving it the necessary power to kill the Demon, the battle between the two lasted for a week but the Dragon finally won."

"What happened to the Dragon?" Merlin asked.

"The Dragon and the spirit were unable to separate, since the spirit wanted nothing to do with the living world it agreed to remain combined with the Dragon until its death, where it would then return to across the veil. It's unknown if the Dragon is dead yet because the spirit greatly increased its life span to surpass most Dragons." Merlin's mind was blown from what Alice had told him, what he had made out was that it took 6 of the most powerful Sorcerers and Sorceresses of the time along with a Dragon to kill one Greater Demon, there was no way that he could allow Marion to summon one, IF that was her plan.

"I need to know how to prevent this Alice, is there anyway?"

"I'd say kill the girl, that's the easiest. If she's dead and whatever demon possessed her isn't in too much control you may end it quickly. Otherwise it may be near impossible." Alice answered bluntly.

"So she is possessed then?" Merlin asked.

"From what you told me yes, the only question is by what." Alice said. Merlin rose from his seat with his bag and staff already on his back.

"Tell me what I need to do Alice, what needs to be done to prevent this?"

"Kill the girl and her demon Merlin, if she becomes a Greater Demon all is lost. But if that does happen we will need the most powerful remaining Priests and Priestesses alive to aid us. The demon will know this and will plan to kill them off, you must prevent that Merlin! No matter the cost!"

"I will Alice, thank you!" Merlin said rushed as he ran out the door, he transformed mid jump into a stag much to the surprise of a young couple passing by who yelped and fell to the ground. Merlin ran into the sunset towards where the only High Priestess he knew of would be, with Aithusa. As much as it pained him (and somewhat thrilled him) that his destiny was intertwined with Morgana's once again he knew he'd need her help in the coming battle. All he could hope was that she'd be willing to help and that he wasn't too late to find her.

AN: Hey guys sorry this one took so long and I apologize that it's both short and not my best work. I promise to have the next one out ASAP and much longer and more action packed just please have the same faith in me you've had this far and I promise not to disappoint you.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11 Demon Scorned

(Note that some of this takes place before what's taking place with Merlin you'll know when the time frames are aligned together.)

She was angry, no angry wasn't a powerful enough word. _Infuriated_ was a better choice. After everything she had done, the deeds she performed and the acts she had committed Merlin had let her go and give her another chance. Morgana knew that she should be grateful that he let her go, according to the images Aithusa had shared with her Merlin had even saved her life; and no matter what way she looked at it she was _furious_. At first she had been sad and depressed not believing that he had allowed her a second chance at a new life, but she couldn't understand why. Was it a way to get her to conform? Was it his way to reconcile with her the years they'd fought each other? Did he pity her? That last thought drove Morgana mad._ How dare he pity __**me**__,_ she would think,_ a High Priestess of the Old Religion!_

Morgana had decided to return to the Fortress of Ismere to house herself until she discovered what she'd do with her new freedom. She was pleased to see that the wolves she had enchanted were still in the area and still responded to her call. She then walked the fortress with Aithusa close at her side. Morgana looked at Aithusa and considered her presence both a blessing and a curse. On the one side Aithusa and she had gone through hell and back together, surviving Sarrum's torture and imprisonment together. Thinking back to her time in that pit always made Morgana lose character and return to the scared little girl all those years ago. The way Sarrum would torment her, gloat at her for her lack of being able to escape… the way that man had touched her during her imprisonment. Morgana shuddered at the memory but looked back to Aithusa, she had been there with her the whole time. She too was in pain from that pit, in a worse condition then Morgana was in her opinion. She remembered back years ago when she had found Aithusa again after she had healed her. She was so full of energy and had a sweet innocent voice when she spoke, it was one of the few times they had spoken to each other before their imprisonment.

_ Morgana had been searching for weeks for the little Dragon that had saved her from her fatal wounds, she had only been able to stare at the beautiful creature as it flew off after healing her. Morgana swore that she would find it and give her thanks to the creature. When she finally did find the Dragon she was surprised to find it playing in a stream, she noticed as she approached closer that it was trying unsuccessfully to catch a fish. The Dragon was barely taller than Morgana's knee but it was still small in Dragon standards she assumed. As she approached she stepped on a branch that cracked loudly as it broke under her weight, when the Dragon heard the sound it stopped playing instantly and turned towards the sound. When the Dragon saw Morgana she yelped and turned to run away, Morgana reached out to the Dragon calling out, "No please! I do not mean you any harm," The Dragon stopped and turned back to face Morgana curiously. Hesitantly, it slowly walked towards her, its wings bent at an odd angle preparing for flight had the need arise. When it was within arm's reach of Morgana she bent on one knee as she looked at the Dragon at eye level._

"_I wanted to thank you for saving my life," Morgana said sincerely, a genuine smile on her face. The Dragon cocked its head as it looked at Morgana and purred approvingly._

"_So… thank you, for saving me." Morgana said looking down at the ground as she said it._

"_You're Welcome!" a female childish voice answered. Morgana shot her head up in shock at hearing the voice, she looked around but there was only the two of them in the area._

"_Did you just speak?" Morgana asked hesitantly to the Dragon, worried she had lost her mind._

"_Yes!" The Dragon responded, bounding from leg to leg in front of Morgana excitedly. "Come play with me!" she exclaimed as she hurried back to the stream. When she looked back to see if Morgana was following she frowned when she saw that Morgana hadn't moved from the spot she'd been kneeling in._

"_Whatsa matter? Don't you wanna play?" she asked a tone of sadness in her voice at losing a potential play mate. Morgana shook the shock from her face as she slowly approached the little Dragon, giving her a Dragon version of a child like grin. Once Morgana approached the stream the little Dragon had jumped into the stream, creating a wave that swallowed Morgana. She expected herself to scold the little Dragon but found herself laughing instead. It wasn't long until the two were laughing and purring at an hour long splash fight in the stream. Finally, exhausted and cold from the activity, Morgana sat herself underneath a tree by the stream and leaned on the tree as the Dragon approached her._

"_What's wrong? You hurting?" Morgana smiled at the little Dragon's innocence and replied,_

"_No I'm just tired, I haven't played like that in the longest time." The little Dragon walked towards Morgana and laid herself on her lap._

"_What's your name lady?" the little Dragon asked. Morgana laughed at the question before replying._

"_My name is Morgana,"_

"_Ohhhh pretty!" the Dragon exclaimed. "I'm Aithusa,"_

"_Well that's an even prettier name," Morgana complimented. Aithusa looked up from Morgana's lap with a surprised look and asked, "You think so?"_

"_Absolutely," Morgana replied with a smile, earning a gleeful squeal from Aithusa. Morgana couldn't help but laugh as Aithusa nuzzled closer to Morgana's body._

"_I don't get to play with others often," Aithusa admitted sadly. "Kilgharrah is always so serious and doesn't like to play."_

"_Is he your father?" Morgana asked. Aithusa gave a disgruntled look followed by a fit of laughing._

"_Noooooo hehehe, he's my mentor. Father is the Lord who hatched me, he's away a lot though and I rarely get to see him." Aithusa looked away sadly for a moment looking at the stream, after a few moments of the awkward silence Aithusa spoke again sounding like she would start to cry._

"_Maybe Father doesn't like me, and that's why he spends more time with Kilgharrah."_

"_Nonsense," Morgana said surprising Aithusa. "I just met you and I think you're wonderful,"_

"_Really? You mean it?" Aithusa asked happily._

"_Absolutely," Morgana replied, the signs of her sadness instantly wiped away from Aithusa's face. It wasn't long then when the two heard a loud roar come from what seemed like many hundreds of leagues away. Aithusa sighed sadly as she got off of Morgana's lap._

"_I have to go now, Kilgharrahs calling." As she walked away a few feet she looked back at Morgana with an unsure look on her face. "Can we play again sometime? Please?" Aithusa asked innocently. Morgana gave a warm smile and said just as warmly, "Whenever you'd like," Aithusa smiled and purred again as she flew off into the sunset towards the roar that had called to her…_

And they had been together ever since, but never once had Aithusa told her that Merlin was her father. She felt betrayed that Aithusa had never told her that, she was willing enough to fight Merlin to some extent but not inform her of this. Morgana decided that she had to know why.

"Aithusa," she called to the young Dragon. Aithusa looked up from walking and gave a low roar.

"Why did you never tell me that Merlin was your father?" Aithusa looked away uneasily and let out a reluctant moan.

"Please tell me Aithusa, did you not trust me?" Aithusa shook her head with a defiant roar. Finally Aithusa craned her neck and breathed her magic into Morgana. Suddenly Morgana's vision turned red and whitish as she saw things at a lower perspective. She had no control of the movement of her body and was shocked when she found herself looking up to the large Dragon present at Aithusa's hatching.

"_Now Aithusa, under no circumstance are you to tell people who hatched you. If anyone found out a Dragon Lord still existed many would want to harm him to get control of us."_

"_But why would anyone want to harm Father? He is so nice and he brings me rabbits!" Aithusa declared, as if the idea of anyone harming Merlin was a preposterous idea. The large Dragon chuckled dryly and said, "Indeed, we are lucky to have a Dragon Lord as kind as he, but regardless you must promise to not tell anyone about him, understand?"_

"_Ok fine," Aithusa pouted as Morgana's vision returned to normal._ She found herself looking back at Aithusa who let off an apologetic roar. Morgana sighed as she put a hand on Aithusa's head, she should have known the Dragon would have told her if she could. She needed to learn not to be so quick to believe people had betrayed her. As Morgana lived the first few weeks in the Fortress of Isere she realized that now that there was no way she could successfully attack Camelot now there was nothing for her to do with her life. She had no purpose, no reason to go on. She expected Merlin was at the castle being exalted and honored for defending Camelot, the thought of him, a sorcerer, being revered in Camelot made her proud and disgusted, betrayed even!

The whole time they had been friends in Camelot she had confessed her fears of having magic to him and he never confessed _his_ secret to her. She felt betrayed, there was a time that she felt she and Merlin were close, closer than friends even. It was obvious he didn't feel that way when he poisoned her though, poisoning her to get to Morgause was an under handed trick she never would have expected from him. Now she was alone in the fortress with none but Aithusa for company. For months she wallowed around suffering through grief, guilt, anguish, loss, anger, remorse and many other emotions. Aithusa was the only one who seemed to improve in condition, every night she would roar loudly into the night and some nights Morgana could hear a roar return to her. She assumed that it was Merlin she was speaking to but figured it could also be the older Dragon she had seen through Aithusa and Merlin's memories. Regardless it did wonders for Aithusa's health and she was acting like the young Dragonling Morgana had met years ago. It wasn't until four months into being isolated in the fortress that her wolves' magical howls began to echo throughout the fortress. Morgana recognized the howl they were relaying: something had been found in the tunnels below. She rushed to the tunnels with Aithusa at her side as she made the long descent down the castle into the tunnels. As she entered the tunnels she sees a pack of her wolves growling at the wall, confused she approaches them as she calls out in the direction of their growling.

"Whose there? I demand you show yourself," she commanded with a sense of her cool disposition trailing through her voice. For a moment there was no sound but the growling of the wolves, and then subtly Morgana heard soft footsteps approaching her. The first thing she saw was a blue glow around a figure, then suddenly the figure became visible to an oddly shaped creature with an oddly shaped head, light blue skin and as if its innards could be seen through its skin. It walked slowly and calmly towards her ignoring the growls from the wolves surrounding it. It looked at Morgana as if it was trying to decide something, and for whatever reason Morgana felt in awe of the creature even though she knew not what it was.

"Who are you?" she demanded, her icy composition somewhat dissipated.

"Who I be… is not important. What is important is the warning I bear to thee." One of the wolves growled vehemently at the creature in an attempt to scare it into submission. Giving a disgusted look at the beasts the glowing creature moved its hand sending all the wolves to recoil from an unseen force. They ran off in fear as the creature turned its attention back to Morgana.

"If you won't tell me who you are will you at least tell me what you are?" Morgana asked.

"I am the last of my kind, known as a Euchdag by those who would remember us, and I come bearing a warning. A warning… I am uncertain of whether you are worthy for yet."

"And why would I heed any warning from you?" Morgana taunted growing slightly worried. The Euchdag smiled coldly as it stared at her knowingly.

"It was not long ago that you searched these very tunnels for me, seeking the knowledge of the Bane of Arthur Pendragon." As the creature said it Morgana finally realized what it was she was talking to.

"You have the Diamair, the key to all knowledge!" she exclaimed. Almost instantly Morgana felt numerous questions that only this creature could answer, along with numerous thoughts of revenge to bring down onto Merlin and Camelot. As soon as Morgana's thoughts moved to thoughts of vengeance however Aithusa gave a loud warning roar that caused Morgana to flinch, causing the Euchdag to laugh coolly.

"It is not just me then who knows you still consider revenge an opt for time, know this however: I will reveal to you nothing more than what has already been decided. Any more would cause havoc to the lands of Albion and the rest of the world." Morgana eyed the Euchdag with an equally cool stare, regaining her composure she asked in a cool emotionless voice,

"And what makes you think I won't make you answer more than you're willing to share?" Before she could answer Aithusa roared angrily as she stood between Morgana and the Euchdag. The Euchdag said nothing, just gave Morgana a knowing smile that made her blood curl in anger. Finally recomposing herself she asked,

"What do you have to tell me then?" The Euchdag nodded as Aithusa moved out of the way so they could speak.

"A sorceress, corrupted by the will of a demon, is on her way to claim siege to your fortress here. Know that no matter what she may say she plans to kill you; and possess the power to do so easily."

"And you are going to tell me how to defeat her?" Morgana asked.

"No," the she said bluntly. "The sorceress will try to convince you to join her side and will promise you anything that you may ask of her,"

"And why would I not want to join someone one who can offer me anything?" Morgana interrupted with a smile and false bravado.

"Because she wants only to kill you, or worse. You have nothing to offer her now that she be corrupted, she merely seeks revenge upon you and the one who saved you." At hearing what she said Morgana's mood instantly darkened.

"Merlin," Morgana said with ice and loathing in her voice.

"Yes, Emrys. The sorceress will come here for you, expecting you to be unprepared and alone. She is wrong on both counts."

"What do you mean?" Morgana asked.

"One comes here to aid you, and is willing to sacrifice themselves to insure that you are not killed. No matter whom it is who saves you, you must go with them! Or else all will be lost for the future of Albion." The Diamair turned to leave as Morgana stood stunned for a second but reacted quickly at seeing the Euchdag leave.

"Wait! You should help me, this sorceress attacks your home as well. With your help I can easily defeat her-"

"No," the Euchdag interrupted. "It must not be risked that she finds the Diamair, and she cannot as long as I remain here. You must survive on your own until your aide arrives." As the Euchdag turned to leave again Morgana called out to her one last time.

"At least tell me when the sorceress will arrive!" The Euchdag gave Morgana a sad look and said in a raspy pained voice

"She is already here," At that moment Morgana heard the tunnels around her moan. She looked around and saw that something was shaking the fortress above her. When Morgana turned back to question the Diamair it was already gone. Cursing under her breath Morgana summoned the pack of wolves that had retreated moments ago, they arrived at her call and awaited her orders.

"Find whoever is attacking the Fortress, bring them down." The wolves all howled in unison as they ran in the opposing direction towards the outside. Morgana ran the opposite way back to the inside of the fortress. As she climbed the fortress stairs she continued to feel the tremors being sent through the fortress, how many magic users were there under the sorceresses control to inflict such damage. When she finally reached a window in the once impregnable fortress she was shocked to see at the amount of people out in the snow, wearing nothing but a simple black dress.

"There's only one person out there," Morgana whispered to herself terrified. She watched as the sorceress blasted at the fortress again, with nothing but bursts of dark air slamming into the fortress. One blast was enough to shake the entire structure, but multiple blasts of such power would destroy it eventually, Morgana didn't have much time. She rushed through the maze of corridors, struggling to keep balance from the constant shaking of the blasts until she finally made it to an outside passage of the fortress. Aithusa flew from above as she met Morgana at the passage. She roared at Morgana just as another tremor went through the fortress, Morgana struggled to keep her balance but looked away towards where the woman was.

"Aithusa help me down!" Morgana exclaimed. Aithusa then made a quick lap around the fortress where she then grabbed Morgana with each of her legs and lazily glided down to the ground. Morgana was too focused on not struggling her form to make the glide down easier for Aithusa when Aithusa made a drastic dive to the ground. Morgana was about to complain about the drop when she saw that the witch who was attacking the fortress appear below them and had launched a concentrated blast of dark fire at the Dragon. She launched another blast at them which Aithusa wasn't able to dodge completely, striking her under the left wing Aithusa began falling towards the ground. Morgana panicked as she tried to think of a healing spell to aid the Dragon when Aithusa opened her wings right before hitting the ground, resulting in a to close call glide on the ground. Aithusa then dropped Morgana into the snow and lifted herself high into the sky. Morgana looked out to the figure of the woman approaching her, long red hair in a plain black dress with no adornments on it. Morgana couldn't tell anything from the cold stare and smile the woman was giving her except that she knew that the Euchdag was right. Morgana could tell just by looking at her she couldn't be trusted, that scared her even more.

As Morgana struggled to run from the witch she found herself having trouble traveling through the knee high snow quickly. She looked back and saw the witch walking atop the snow without sinking, quickly progressing towards her. Morgana nearly cried in relief when she heard the howling of the wolves, a pack of them put themselves in between Morgana and the witch giving her time to get away. As the wolves blocked the witch's past she looked at them curiously, with a hint of a smile forming at the corner of her lips. The first wolf darted at her with an angry howl, followed by two others in close pursuit. The witch raised a hand and sent the two farther away wolves flying into the snow, the closest one she grabbed by the throat as it lunged to attack her. Morgana watched in despair and shock as she held the animal by the throat as if it was effortless. The wolf struggled under the witch's grasp as ripples of dark mist trailed down off of the witch's arm and into the wolf. The wolf stopped struggling from the grasp and began to shake violently as she threw the animal away as its form began to convulse and morph, the reaction sent chills colder than the snow around her up Morgana's spine. When the wolf stood up it was completely changed from how it had been only seconds ago. Its fur was replaced by red skin covering its entire body, its ear were gone leaving only slits where they should be. Two sets of bestial fangs came from the top and bottom of the beast's mouth. As it stood up Morgana realized that it had now grown to the size of a horse and twice as thick making it gruesome fight for even an army. Realizing that she'd never win using the wolves she released her hold on them and scared them into fleeing. The monster leapt and bounded toward Morgana causing her to scream in fear, as if called Aithusa appeared and breathed fire down blocking the creature's path. Turning its attention to Aithusa the creature howled a blood curdling howl that seemed to shake the very world around it. The monster then leapt a surprising distant and landed atop Aithusa midair bringing the two down in a fit of claws and fangs as they fell.

"AITHUSA!" Morgana called out frantically as she realized the witch was approaching her. With a flash of her eyes Morgana sent a bolt of white lightning from the sky directly at the witch. If it hurt her she showed no inclination other than staggering back a step from the recoil. The witch even seemed amused by Morgana's attempt at fighting her. Trying to get away quickly Morgana ran as fast as she could through the snow (which would barely be considered a jog) to get away from the witch. Unfortunately the snow ended up being her downfall as it caused her to trip and fall. Unable to get up in time Morgana tried to crawl away sending another bolt of lightning at the witch, but unfortunately she felt her body being lifted by an unseen force. As she rose from the snow and inches from the ground she found herself staring eye to eye with the opposing witch.

"Why hello, Morgana Pendragon, It has been far too long." She said. Her voice sounded strange to Morgana, she heard a feminine voice that seemed to fit her but then there was a second voice, a darker sinister, male voice that spoke the same time she did.

"I've been looking for you for quite some time, and I must say you don't disappoint."

"What do you want?" Morgana managed under the invisible grip of the witch's spell. She gave Morgana a cold smile as she placed one of her hands under Morgana's chin.

"Why I want you milady, I was disappointed when you left me all those months ago. So I came to find you." Morgana was struggling now to keep moving, but no matter what she did she was helpless and simply struggled in midair.

"No one has claim to me you bitch! Release me before I kill you!" This earned Morgana a chilling laugh from the witch.

"I never took you for one with a sense of humor Morgana, but never the less, your power was once mine and it will be once again, but there is no reason we cannot work together." The Euchdag's warning flashed through Morgana's mind.

"I want no part of what you're up to," Morgana defied. She felt the grip around her tighten as the woman working the spell frowned. Then a cold menacing smile that would put all that Morgana had done to shame formed on the woman's face as she said cruelly,

"As you wish,"

Just as with the wolf the witch summoned tendrils of black mist to progress down the upper area of her arms as it slowly progressed downwards towards Morgana. Morgana was frozen in fear as she saw the mist approach her, she knew that she should try something, anything, but couldn't find the right words or spell to help herself. Aithusa cried out from her battle with the wolf but couldn't get away without gravely hurting herself. Just then, as the mist was about to progress into Morgana's form, it stopped abruptly at the wrist of the witch's hand when an all too familiar voice shouted out that caused the woman to frown angrily.

"_Marion!" _The voice shouted some distance away, Morgana knew instantly who it was but was prevented from speaking just then by the Witch's spell. Turning around, the witch faced her new adversary.

"So you finally show yourself Emrys? "

Merlin was seriously regretted running to Alice's home instead of riding a horse there, had he known beforehand that he'd have to pass through Annis's land to the Fortress of Ismere he'd have brought Honey with him for at least part of the ride. When he finally reached that frozen waste land that stood as the boundary to the fortresses land Merlin changed back into his human form panting and exhausting. He knew that Aithusa was just over the hill, and Morgana wouldn't be far from her. Or so Merlin was hoping. He decided to walk the rest of the way to the fortress instead of running, taking the trip to reclaim his breath and think of a plan to not get blasted by Morgana on sight. It wasn't long however until he heard a blood curdling howl that sent shivers up his spine. It was then that Merlin saw a pack of wolves running straight at Merlin. Grabbing the staff from his back he pointed at the pack expecting a fight, but when they passed him completely he was utterly lost. It was then that he put things together: the evil sounding roar, ferocious wolves running away like pussy cats-

"Aww hell this can't be good," Merlin cursed to himself as he ran atop the hill, he quickly conjured warm air currents to surround him to prevent him from freezing due to his lack of snow clothing as he ran. It was easier for him to run now and it helped him progress a little faster. When he finally made it to the top he was frozen from shock: Marion was holding Morgana in front of her with a spell while Aithusa was busy rolling and fighting with a giant red monster. As Merlin saw the monster atop of Aithusa Kilgharrah's voice rang through his mind explaining the creature.

_Hell Hounds are not a creature to be trifled with, there presence in the living world is almost as disboding as that of the Questing Beast. The venom that courses in their saliva is toxic and means an immediate death to all creatures not born with powerful magic, but unless treated they will eventually succumb to a horrid pain filled death._

Shaking his head to clear his head Merlin clutched his staff and slammed the bottom to the ground.

"_Marion!"_ he shouted out, knowing that she would hear him. Morgana's expression turned to one of relief and fear at the sound of Merlin's voice but he was unsure whether she was scared of him or Marion.

"So you finally show yourself Emrys?" Marion said. Her voice didn't scare Merlin nearly as much as it should have.

"Let them go Marion," Merlin demanded. Marion laughed without humor as she turned her gaze back to Morgana.

"I was a fool to think I needed Morgana's help to summon a powerful demon Emrys, but I may still have a use for her body as a vessel for one of my brethren."

"You may have been fool and fortunate enough to find a demon to merge with Marion but you'd be a fool to think you can force it onto another." Merlin's words seemed to take Marion aback, she hadn't expected him to know about her deal with a demon, but did he know how powerful a one? No he couldn't.

"With time and my limitless power, I don't believe that to be a problem." Marion rebutted in an attempt to scare Merlin, she was unsuccessful. Merlin eyed her angrily, the normal soft blue hue of his eyes replaced by an icy steel, Marion felt the demon within her shiver, whether out of fear or excitement she didn't know; but she would not be bested by Merlin again.

"What makes you think you can defeat me?" Marion shouted to Merlin, not about to let her be caught worried. Merlin did not respond with words or a spell, but with a roar that was equally as terrifying as the Hell Hound's.

"_O drakon, e male so ftengometta tesd'hup'anankes!" _Once Merlin's command was uttered Aithusa released a loud roar that would have rivaled Kilgharrah's. With a new found strength Aithusa managed to force the Hell Hound off of her and bit viciously at its neck, when the beast tried to claw at Aithusa's flank she released her hold and flew off to join herself with Merlin. Marion was distracted by Aithusa's sudden advantage over her hellhound and in result gave her no time to react to Merlin's spell_._

"_Acwele!"_ A bolt of pure white energy was fired from Merlin's staff and hit an off guard Marion square in the chest. Marion was sent flying a fair distance, and as soon as she had been hit Morgana had dropped from her entrapment. Morgana's heart was racing ecstatically after being under that witch Marion's spell, her anger coursed through her body as she got up to look for Marion's body. She saw a form lying on the ground and moved towards it with her mind rapidly moving to different ways to end her life. When she approached Marion and was about to unleash her fury, but she was paralyzed by what she saw; what lied in front of her was Marion there was no mistaking it, but she looked anything _but _human. She still wore the black dress from before but her form was altered drastically; her skin was a dark sickish purple hue that covered her entire body, her hair was replaced by two menacing looking horns that held a dark red flame slightly above the meeting point of the horn's tips. She retained _some_ of her human attributes but they were strongly over flowed by whatever _creature_ she had turned into, unfortunately Morgana's shock gave Marion the time she needed to recover.

"Do you see the power that you could possess Morgana? Join me! Join me, and together we will destroy Emrys and RULE this world," Marion reached her clawed purple hand to Morgana who stared at it for a split moment, her eyes were undeceisive and clouded as her hand slowly approached Marion's hand. Just as the demon smiled Morgana smiled herself as her eyes instantly cleared and glowed, from her out stretched hand came a ball of hot condensed fire as she yelled, "_Forbærne Ácwele!"_

Marion's smile disappeared as she was consumed by the fire leaving Morgana standing above her smiling evilly. Her smile slowly vanished though as she realized that Marion wasn't screaming or being burned alive, the fire surrounding her began moving in one fluid motion around her body as it traveled to the flame atop her horns.

"SO BE IT!" Marion roared. The flame atop her horns grew as a burst of dark fire erupted from Marion's hands; Morgana didn't have any time to react as she felt someone push her out of the way and onto the ground followed by a shout of the spell, _"Scildan!"_ When Morgana looked up she saw Merlin in front of her holding back Marion's spell. Morgana could tell that even though Merlin was able to hold back Marion's spell that he was having trouble doing it.

"Always playing the hero Emrys, when will you learn that it will be your downfall?!" Marion roared as she increased the intensity of the spell. Merlin gritted his teeth as he continued to hold of the spell. Morgana watched in astonishment as Merlin was able to defend at equal levels with the monster that had left her as defenseless as rag doll until Merlin's forced utterance snapped her out of astonishment.

"What are you doing? Get out of here!" Merlin had managed under Marion's strain. Not waiting for another word Morgana stumbled up and did her best to get away as fast as possible. As she watched Morgana escape a knowing smile escaped Marion's lips.

"Ahh I see what you're doing Emrys. You think that by sacrificing yourself I won't have any need for Morgana." She laughed as she doubled the power of her spell again, she then snapped coolly and without humor, "Unfortunately for you I intend to make the both of you duffer for all eternity!" Merlin laughed as he was forced to take steps backwards from the spells intensity.

"Then it's a good thing that wasn't what I planned at all," Merlin rasped with a strained as he was forced to a knee. Marion frowned until she heard a familiar roar come from above, Aithusa had gotten away from the hellhound and was now diving down towards Marion. Mid dive Aithusa let burst a stream of dragon fire from her breath. Forced to redirect her spell Marion aimed one of her hands and directed it to intercept Aithusa's stream. Unfortunately for Marion Aithusa wasn't about to relent; she stopped diving and continued breathing fire down at Marion. Thanks to Aithusa's attack the pressure was greatly reduced from Merlin's shield; standing back up (and still holding his hand to block Marion's remaining stream) he thrust his staff before him and shouted, _"Ácwele!" _Another burst of pure white energy was fired and pushed at the remaining blast of dark fire. Marion was now the one being forced to the ground as she was slowly brought to her knees from the two unrelenting forces. Finally with a groan of reluctance Marion stopped her spell and took the full blast from both attacks. She screamed from the combined force and pain that now seared through her body as a dark purplish black smoke began to fill the air around them.

Merlin tried to look through the smoke frantically in search of Marion, but unfortunately was unable to find her.

"Aithusa! Find Morgana and tell me if you see Marion!" Merlin commanded. With a roar of agreement Aithusa flew towards Morgana flying around her in the sky. Merlin kept his staff pointed in front of him preparing for any kind of attack, he hadn't a clue if Marion survived the combined attack (he hoped it did) but he refused to let his guard down. The smoke for whatever reason would not dissipate and Merlin worried that it was a ploy used to distract him, he then heard Morgana yell a spell followed by an angry roar; apparently the Hell Hound was still on the prowl. Merlin ran through the smoke and saw Aithusa and the Hell Hound intertwined wrestling on the ground again, Morgana using spells to strike at the monster but seemingly doing little damage. Merlin then felt Kilgharrah's wisdom flow through him again:

_Hell Hounds are resistant to all forms of magic, even one as powerful as you would have trouble dissipating it. The only way to defeat them, aside from concentrated Dragon fire which is rarely available on hand, is to strike them down with brute force: Piercing their heart or rendering them unable to fight._

As the knowledge left Merlin silently cursed himself for not bringing a sword. Merlin ran to the fight between Aithusa and the Hell Hound and managed to land a number of bolts on the Hell Hound. It didn't seem to notice the pain despite the marks it made and Merlin couldn't help but moan in discontent. He looked back to the smoke behind him and saw that it was beginning to vortex around into a cyclone as a bodily shape began to form within the smoke. Acknowledging it to possibly be one of the biggest mistakes he'd ever made, he tossed his staff to Morgana who caught it with a surprised look on her face.

"Do whatever you can to keep that smoke from forming: blast it, freeze it, burn it just do something Merlin ordered. Before waiting to see if Morgana would listen to him he rushed at Aithusa and the Hell Hound regretting what he was about to do. He changed mid jump into the fray between the magical creatures and landed on the Hell Hound as a bear just a foot smaller than the Hound. The Hell Hound was unprepared for the attack and didn't expect to be hacked upon by a roaring 500 lb. bear. Merlin hacked at the chest of the Hell Hound and its face as Aithusa (who obviously knew the bear was Merlin) clawed and bit at its hind quarters. After what seemed only seconds the Hell Hound forced the two off of itself forcing Aithusa back into the air while Merlin fell to the ground. The Hell Hound, judging Merlin to be the lesser threat, leapt atop of him and dug its claws into Merlin's hide. Roaring in pain Merlin tried to beat away the Hound but to no avail, gaining the upper hand the demon wolf bit its fangs into Merlin's left shoulder causing him to roar out in pain. The burning that Merlin could only assume to be venom entered his blood stream as he roared from the consistent pain from both the bite and the venom. Aithusa roared out in anger as she rammed into the Hell Hound releasing its hold over Merlin, Merlin looked down to his wound and saw that most of the fur (and skin) had been removed and that there was a green liquid coating the wound. He turned at the pained howl of the Hell Hound as Aithusa released a jet of fire upon the beast as it slowly roasted into death.

Merlin sighed in relief as he reverted back to his normal form, he was panting heavily now and as he looked down to his shoulder the wound looked much worse. The part of the shirt that had been there was torn clean off along with much of Merlin's skin. The green solvent coming from the wound burned like fire through Merlin's body and it hurt him to stand up. He turned to see how Morgana fared and cringed at seeing how soon the smoke was reforming. Morgana had been relentless in keeping the demon from reforming but unfortunately it wasn't enough. While Marion was reformed she was in no better shape than Merlin was: the parts of her body where Merlin and Aithusa's combined attacks hit had left scarred craters in her skin that obviously were causing her a lot of pain, unfortunately it seemed to have done little to weaken her power with a flick of her wrist she sent Morgana flying, knocking her unconscious upon impact and to force Aithusa to the ground suddenly and prevent her from moving. This seemed to be a more taxing spell to maintain. She then turned to look at Merlin with a venomous stare that almost made the pain in his shoulder numb.

"It is over Emrys surrender and I may be merciful," Marion said haggardly.

"Never," Merlin gasped as he slowly walked towards Morgana's form. As he slowly walked Marion sent a stream of dark fire at him again, which with great difficulty he was able to deflect. He noticed his staff only feet from Morgana but he knew that there was little hope of reaching it in time before the inevitable. He knew the poison and blood loss would force him to pass out in a matter of moments so he stuck out his hand and readied his final spell.

"There's nothing you can do to stop me!" Marion roared as the flame between her horns flared along with her hands. Merlin didn't respond he only incanted the spell.

"_Ic her aciege ænne windræs! Færblæd wawe! Forbærne ungetermed: gehiere! Ic ðe bebiede mid ealle strangnesse ðæt ðu geblæwest ond sierest strange! Ge spurne þeos hægtesse!" _As Merlin enchanted the spell a whirlwind, much like the one he used to defeat Morgana as Dragoon the great, was summoned into existence between Morgana's body and Marion, the one difference however was the added element of fire that surrounded the rims of the whirlwind. As it approached Marion she thrust out her hand and with her own chanting in what Merlin assumed was the demon tongue tried to hold back the spell. Fortunately it was then that Marion's seemingly endless supply of magic chose to stop for she was unable to redirect the flaming wind. The whirlwind increased in speed as Marion was eventually trapped into it, as it burned and tore at her flesh she howled in a fit of pain as her physical form dissolved. Her lack of power resulted in Aithusa joining in on the attack breathing fire at the demon. As Marion roared she began to revert into the black smoke from before, but as she did she roared out to Merlin in pain.

"_THIS IS NOT THE END EMRYS, FAR FROM IT!"_ As she roared Merlin's spell final dissipated along with Aithusa finishing her stream. The black smoke that was Marion fled from the scene as it quickly went leagues away from the fortress to tend its wounds. Exhausted and in pain Merlin lowers his hand and falls to the ground in exhaustion as he quickly succumbed to the darkness around him. The last thing he heard and saw was the shadow of Aithusa followed by a worried shriek.

AN: Hey hope this made up for my last chapter please review and tell me what you like or what you think I need to work on!


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12 An Uneasy Alliance

Morgana's eyes opened begrudgingly as she slowly picked herself up from the layer of snow she had been knocked into. After a few moments of grogginess she remembered what had been taken place and had become instantly alert. Noticing the staff she had dropped at her side she grabbed it and looked around hectically for Marion, it was then that she realized that she was nowhere to be seen. All Morgana could see was snow and the burning corpse that had been a Hell Hound. Worried that she was alone Morgana called out for Aithusa.

"Aithusa? Where are you?" Morgana sighed in relief when she heard Aithusa instantly reply; she followed the direction she heard the roar come from and saw Aithusa with her body wrapped protectively around something, or some_one_ as it turned out. When Morgana approached the Dragon she was relieved to see that she was without any serious damage done to her aside from claw marks on her flank that would heal on their own, but when she approached she froze in place as she saw her wrapped around Merlin protectively; breathing magic into him in hopes to heal him. She had done a seemingly good job from what Morgana could tell but there was a giant gash that of blood covering Merlin's left shoulder and most of the left front of his body. Along with blood pouring out there was a sickly green liquid that seemed to pulse around the wound. Aithusa looked up from Merlin to Morgana and gave a pleading whimper that Morgana strangely understood.

_Please help him._

Morgana stared at Merlin's form, a mix of emotions going through her mind making it hard for her to think straight. Thoughts pounding through her head as she had no idea what to do:

_**Leave him to die.**_

_But he saved me._

_**He has done nothing you couldn't have done if you were well prepared.**_

_But I wasn't and that Bitch would have killed me._

_**He poisoned you.**_

That one thought pulsed through her mind, it was one of the few things of her life in Camelot that she could never forget.

_**Leave him to die from the poison as he once left you to.**_

It made sense; she had no connection to Merlin any more. He had ruined her plans for years and then succeeded in killing her with a bewitched blade.

_But he saved you_, a quiet voice said in the back of her mind. This made her think, he had saved her from this Marion creature twice now and had healed her wounds from the demon and its poison. Morgana put her hands to her head and fell to her knees on the ground as she struggled to calm the thoughts rampaging through her minds. She was called back into reality when she heard Aithusa begin to cough and sputter rabidly, as if she had something stuck in her throat.

"Aithusa what's wrong?" Morgana asked, standing to put comforting hands on Aithusa's neck. Aithusa continued to struggle as sounds came from her mouth that weren't her usual roars or growls.

"F-f-AHHHr-tha," Aithusa croaked as she tried to awaken Merlin. It took Morgana a moment but when she realized what Aithusa was trying to say her heart stopped.

_Father._

She watched as Aithusa continued to try to heal Merlin's wound while sputtering out trying to say the one word that she used to say with such affection. Her mind drifted back to before there entrapment by Sarrum, before Aithusa stopped speaking…

_They had just caught a few fish in a stream they had found and while Morgana was waiting for hers to cook over a small fire Aithusa had dug into hers instantly. She swallowed the first two whole and hiccupped a small flame as Morgana shook her head with a small smile._

"_Don't swallow your food like that Aithusa, it's bad for you and you'll get sick," Morgana chided._

"_Ohhh but I like the way they feel going down my throat, there so wiggly on their way down." Aithusa then gasped suddenly causing Morgana to jump in fear that something was wrong._

"_What is it Aithusa?"_

"_That word is so fun to say! Wiggly! WIGgly! wigGLY,wiGGly" Aithusa began laughing ecstatically at the different ways to say wiggly and drew another smile from Morgana, she was smiling more and more these days._

"_You have too much energy for your own good Aithusa, maybe you should take a nap," Morgana joked as she examined her fish._

"_You sound just like Father and Kilgharrah," Aithusa pouted after hearing the word 'nap'._

"_You never talk about your father or this Kilgharrah, what are they like?" Morgana asked._

_Aithusa had just bit into the last of her fish but at hearing Morgana's question she looked up with the fish's tail sticking out of her snout. Swallowing the half in her mouth and letting the other half drop Aithusa said,_

"_Kilgharrah is my mentor, since were the only Dragon's left (so he says) he tells me what it means to be a Dragon, but he's always so serious and never likes to have fun."_

"_And what about your Father? The Dragon Lord who hatched you?" Aithusa's face lit up at the mention of her Father._

"_He's one of the nicest people I've ever known; aside from you Morgana. He's kind, he's fun he likes to play hide and seek with me; I love it when he comes to spend the night with me and Kilgharrah. He tells stories and about his friends at his home."_

"_Well I'd love to meet him one day," Morgana said cheerfully. Aithusa looked up to the sky staring at the clouds pass by over their heads. Not removing her gaze from the sky Aithusa said almost inaudibly,_

"_You might have already,"_

Morgana was brought back to reality by Aithusa's roaring. She was looking at Morgana pleadingly with her blue eyes causing Morgana's heart to break under the young Dragon's gaze.

"Bring him back to the Fortress Aithusa, I'll do what I can." Growling in agreement Aithusa grabbed Merlin gently between all her limbs and flew clumsily back to the Fortress with Morgana in tow. Aithusa had brought Merlin into one of the many rooms of the fortress and placed him as gently as possible on the bed, it wasn't long until Morgana came in greeted by another pleading whine from Aithusa. Merlin began to moan suddenly from the bed causing both Morgana and Aithusa to turn in his direction sharply. He had broken out into a sweat and was moaning painfully at the same time, before Morgana had time to do anything Merlin's eyes opened in voluntarily. He was still unconscious but the poison was causing his body to act on its own. With a flash of his eyes two chairs in the room were brought to life and jumped at one another in a fight to the death, another flash caused the rug to be pulled out from under Morgana's feet causing her to fall to the ground with a thud. Growling in anger Morgana got herself up with the help of Merlin's staff and cast a spell of her own, binding Merlin to the bed with the sheets. Aithusa took care of the chairs with a quick burst of fire destroying them both and the magic that had surrounded them.

"He's trouble even unconscious," Morgana complained. Merlin struggled against the sheets restraining him but is unable to move now. Morgana stares at Merlin wondering how she is going to try to heal him when Aithusa rips his staff out of her hand. Morgana is shocked by this but more shocked to see her gnawing on the top of the staff.

"Aithusa stop! That isn't something you can chew on!" Aithusa ignored Morgana's voice of protest and continued biting on the staff, suddenly a gleam entered Aithusa's eyes as she spit the staff out and went toward Merlin. Morgana went to pick up the staff to see what damage Aithusa had done. Surprisingly there were no bite marks on the white wood or any other sign of damage, but the jewel that had been atop the staff was now gone. Morgana turned her attention to Aithusa and noticed that she had placed the jewel atop of Merlin over the poisoned wound. She then turned her attention to Morgana and gave her an expecting look.

"What do you want me to do?" Morgana asked almost angrily. Aithusa craned her neck and breathed upon Morgana. It was the first time she had given Morgana a spell and not healing; the spell she had taught Morgana was powerful, and apparently the one Merlin used to treat her wounds. She slowly approached Merlin and took the Crystal (which from Aithusa now knew it was the Crystal of Jadira) and positioned it above the wound and began chanting:

"_Bebiede gestepe Þurhhæle híe þæt heo bræd,"_ Morgana gasped at the strain the spell was taking from her and dropped the Crystal in surprise. Aithusa gave a worried moan but watched protectively over the two. Morgana picked up the Crystal and again chanting the spell, this time ready for the toll it would take on her:

"_Bebiede gestepe Þurhhæle híe þæt heo bræd,"_ The spell once again took its toll but Morgana did not drop the Crystal again. Following the instructions that Aithusa had given her she continued chanting and moved the Crystal from the wound to Merlin's mouth. The strain to maintain the spell grew as the poison was drawn out of Merlin's body. The large puddle of poison that had been coating Merlin's wound had disappeared as it traveled through his body to draw out what remained in his body. The More poison that was drawn out though the darker the gem grew, at first it simply changed color from its aqua shade to a sickly green, but then it grew darker and darker as the hours of chanting continued. Soon the gem was almost pitch black and Morgana had a feeling that it wouldn't be good: and she was right. In the middle of one of her incantations the gem turned darker than night and sent an excruciating shock through Morgana's body, causing her to drop the Crystal. She cursed at the gem as she bent to pick it up, unfortunately as soon as she touched it; it sent another jolt up her arm.

"Well that's not good," Morgana muttered to herself. She looked over at Merlin and at seeing that seemingly all the poison from his wound had been cleaned that he should be ok and that she'd worry about the Crystal later. From there Morgana uttered a few simpler healing spells to close most of the wound and prevent too much blood from being lost. When she was too tired to continue her magic she took a role of bandages and wrapped them around Merlin's left half tightly. Nodding her approval she turned to Aithusa who gave a grateful yip and rested her head on Merlin's lap. Closing her eyes and taking in a deep breath Morgana realized that there would be little more she could do in her condition and decided upon getting some sleep.

She tried to sleep but her mind was haunted by nightmares and worries that Marion would return to the fortress. They were safe there for now but she knew there was little her power could do to harm the demon, even with the surprising abilities of Merlin's staff. She was both impressed and disgruntled by the power Merlin had displayed in fighting off that demon creature. He seemed to be, at the very least, equally as powerful as that witch; and with Aithusa's help he was able to mortally wound the bitch. But at the same time she was furious that Merlin: the gawky, goofy, kind hearted servant to Arthur was the sorcerer the Caileach had warned her about last year. _He is your destiny, and your doom;_ she remembered her say to Morgana, and here she was treating him of his wounds instead of carving his heart out with her knife. She knew Aithusa would never allow her to harm Merlin though; in fact she'd be surprised if she tried anything and Aithusa _didn't_ try to rip her head off in defense. Morgana sighed as she lifted herself out of bed.

_No point worrying about it now,_ Morgana thought to herself. She returned to the room Merlin had been resting in with new bandages and stopped in the door way at the sight she was seeing. Aithusa had awkwardly crawled onto the bed with Merlin (who was no longer restrained by the sheets) and had wrapped her body around him with her head resting gently on his chest, one of Merlin's arms was wrapped around her neck. A lump formed in Morgana's throat as she observed the sight; as close as she and Aithusa had become the past few years she would always have more of a kinship to Merlin over her. Not that she could blame her of course, if she could be reunited with her father: Goloris the man who raised her, she would be loyal to him over anyone else as well. She quietly approached the pair and put a gentle hand on the sleeping Dragon, waking her gently.

"Aithusa, you need to get up dear." Morgana said sweetly. Aithusa's eyes fluttered open as she let out a loud yawn like roar as she stretched her back out like a cat. At seeing Morgana she gave a smile and a prrrming sound from the back of her throat. She eased out of the bed not to wake Merlin and leapt to the ground so Morgana could work. As Morgana turned her attention to Merlin she saw that his bandage was coated with blood. She sat at his bed side as she lifted his head and back up enough for her to begin unwrapping his bandage. As she worked on the bandage his head fell from her hold and he landed gently on her chest. Morgana froze for a minute as she stared at the sleeping Merlin and felt her face grow hot. She shook her head from such a thought and continued unwrapping his bandage, not bothering to move his head. Once the bandage was off she laid him back down on the bed and examined his wound. While the wound was closed by the dried blood there was still a brief risk of infection. She left the room for a quick moment and returned with a bowl of water and a cloth. With a glow from her eyes the bowl of water began to steam slightly as she then dipped the cloth into the now warm water. Once the cloth made contact with Merlin's skin he flinched, whether from the heat or from touching him near his wound Morgana didn't know, so she proceeded to clean the blood off his body with a gentle touch she thought she had all but forgotten. As she wipes the blood off of his chest she can't help but notice how lean and muscular Merlin was, he wasn't ripped like the knights of Camelot or the Saxons but his muscles were toned and strong from what she could tell. She fought off another blush as she rewrapped the wound surrounding the wound.

_Keep it together Morgana, remember who your helping, _Morgana thought to herself. Still, there was something different about Merlin that she just couldn't place her finger on. Regardless he needed rest and would probably awaken soon. She decided that she may as well scrounge something for him to eat.

_Later that night_

Merlin awoke groggily unaware of where he was. His body was sore and he felt a dim burning feeling from under his skin. He strained to lean on his elbows as he got a look at his surroundings. The room was decent sized without any furniture other than the bed he was laying on and for some odd reason the smell of burnt wood and leather. It was then that a heavy form leapt atop of Merlin and his first response was that the Hell Hound had jumped him. He was obviously relieved when he saw that it was only Aithusa.

"Hey there girl, are you ok?" Aithusa hummed as she nuzzled Merlin's chest. She caused a bit of pain to act up from the soreness but he ignored it as he hugged Aithusa's head affectionately. It was then that he noticed the figure in the doorway holding a loaf of bread and a pitcher of water. As he looked up he was surprised to see that it was Morgana in the doorway staring at him, or was it more of a leer? Their eyes locked onto one another's; his blue knowing eyes and her emerald piercing stare penetrated each other, unsure what the other was thinking or planning. Finally knowing that something had to be said Merlin said the only thing he could think of.

"Hey," he said bluntly, regretting it almost instantly.

"Hello Morgana responded, thinking the same thing. They stared at each other for several more minutes in silence. Finally Morgana gestured to the bread and water in her hands.

"I brought you something to eat and drink," she said warily. She approached him and handed him the loaf of bread and pitcher of water. Merlin took the two cautiously and gave Morgana a small smile.

"Thanks," he said before taking a bite into the bread, it wasn't until he had swallowed the first bite that he realized how hungry he was. He ended up scarfing the bread down and chugged most of the water in a single bound. As he sighed in satisfaction from the water he noticed that Morgana had been watching him the whole time and was giving him a peculiar look.

"Sorry, it was a long trip over here" Merlin explained. Morgana didn't reply but just eyed Merlin for a moment while he sat up from the bed. Aithusa got off the bed and lied on the floor at the foot of the bed.

"Why are you here?" Morgana finally asked unable to take the silence any longer.

"Well Marion was here and I-"

"You could have just let her kill me, why would you come to help me? Of all people!" Morgana demanded, interrupting Merlin in mid speech. Merlin sighed and looked up at Morgana.

"You kept your word on not attacking any village or kingdom so I would have no reason to kill you, and I sure as hell wasn't going to let Marion get ahold of you again."

"Why did she come here after me?" Morgana asked her eyes narrowed. Merlin took the time to explain that months ago when Marion had chained her to an altar of the Old Religion and had used their combined powers to pull a demon from the other side of the veil. He then went to explain how she had made a deal with a more powerful demon and how it could destroy the land of Albion if she kept tearing the veil to summon demons the way she was doing; Morgana listened intently not letting her real emotions pass through her icy exterior. In reality, she was terrified. Morgause had told Morgana about the demons from across the veil, even the weakest ones were powerful foes. While some demons had always been in the living world they were never quite as powerful as those in the veil, and if this Marion succeeded in tearing the veil then hell would rise to destroy Albion and the rest of the world with it. She stared at Merlin for a few minutes before asking a simple question.

"So what happens now?" Merlin looked at Morgana for a moment and put his hand to the scale around his neck, a sad appearance taking his face.

"I honestly don't know," Merlin replied honestly. He looked back up at Morgana with a determined look on his face. "What I do know is that if there's to be any chance of defeating Marion, we need to work together,"

"You're crazy," Morgana stated simply giving Merlin a cold stare.

"I've been called worse," Merlin said trying to lighten the mood. When he noticed it wasn't working he sighed.

"Morgana look, I know that for the past years that we've been enemies. Please understand that I never wanted that-"

"Then you shouldn't have poisoned me!" Morgana shouted her emotions finally getting the best of her.

"I did what I had to do to save Camelot," Merlin said in a hard level tone.

"How did poisoning me stop Morgause other than her sacrificing her plot to save me?" Morgana demanded. Merlin raised his hand and Morgana flinched as she raised her own in retaliation in what may have come. Realizing that he had made a mistake he changed his hands position to an apologetic plea.

"I would like to use the memory spell to show you why I had to do it, but I won't if you don't want me to." Morgana stared at Merlin for a moment under her icy stare, but after a while she nodded and lowered her hand. Merlin nodded in return and raised his hand again uttering,

"_Memra Serptum,"A blue energy engulfed Morgana once again as she found herself transported somewhere else. She wasn't in an open field this time but in some sort of large cave, a cave that somehow seemed familiar. Atop a large rock was the Dragon who had been present at Aithusa's hatching. He was asleep seemingly, and had a large chain attached to his ankle._

_**Of course,**__ Morgana thought to herself, __**this is the Dragon Uther had imprisoned for all those years. So the shouting…**__ Morgana's train of thought was broken when she saw Merlin's form running through the door way with a torch in hand._

"_What's going on why is everyone asleep?" Merlin demanded in a tired taxing voice. The Dragon did not awake, only snored in respond to Merlin's question putting a look of fear over Merlin's face._

"_The spells come to use as well," Merlin thought out loud as the Dragon continued to snore._

"_I need your help what am I going to do?" Merlin asked frantically. His expression changed suddenly and Morgana noticed that the Dragon was smiling. _

"_Don't pretend," Merlin scolded the Dragon. "I know your listening." With a sigh the Dragon began to raise as he said in a tired voice, "I don't need to listen to you Merlin you always say the same thing: Help me." The Dragon was now fully awake as he looked down at Merlin._

"_And yet you refuse to give anything in return. Now you will face the consequences of that decision. Camelot's end is nigh and there's nothing you can do about it." The Dragon said the last bit with scorn flowing from his tone like venom, Morgana was somewhat surprised, obviously the Dragon hadn't been freed yet but why was he so hostile towards a Dragon Lord? And why hadn't Merlin freed him?_

"_I know I promised to free you, and I will" Merlin said, the exhaustion not able to hide the slight tone of reluctance in Merlin's voice. The Dragon laughed coldly as Merlin shook his head in denial._

"_I will I promise!" Merlin assured._

"_I no longer trust your promises," the Dragon responded coolly, the anger obvious in his voice. Merlin hesitated, unable to think clearly as he suddenly blurted out_

"_I swear on my mother's life!" Morgana was shocked when he heard Merlin say that. His mother was the only family he had, why would he have to say such a thing to the Dragon? He on the other hand seemed amused by the vow._

"_Careful what you say," The Dragon said as he adjusted himself on his altar to a more suiting position. Merlin looked upon the Dragon with exhaustion clear upon his face but with another one Morgana had only seen truly once: defeat. The two stared each other down and the Dragon's expression softened slightly; like from steel to stone._

"_You have to help me," Merlin begged pathetically. Morgana couldn't help but laugh, she'd have to meet this Dragon some day and get tips on how to torture Merlin._

"_Please?" Merlin added for good affect._

"_Her life means more to you then your own," the Dragon stated obviously. "This is an oath I believe you will honor."_

"_I will," Merlin said all too quickly. As the Dragon spoke it's expression turned softer and that of a teacher speaking to a student._

"_It is one thing to cast a spell to put everyone to sleep, the power to maintain it is a very different matter. It will take more than just words to break this enchantment."_

"_What do you mean?" Merlin asked. Morgana to was now curious. From the conversation the two were having she recognized it must have been the time that Morgause invaded Camelot with the Knights of Medea when the city had been put to sleep. Morgause had never told her how she had done the spell but only that it took its toll on her, but that hadn't explained why she had been immune. It couldn't be because she had magic because Merlin did as well._

"_You must eradicate the source Merlin," he said with a smug smile on his face._

"_Great, what is that?" Merlin asked._

"_Not what, but who. Such spells need a vessel a constant living presence to give them strength. The source of this pestilence is the witch: the Lady Morgana. Morgana's heart stopped at hearing the Dragon's words. _

_**No, it can't be**__ Morgana panicked. __**Morgause used me?! She wouldn't! **__She looked down at Merlin and was surprised to see tears from his eyes as he shook his head reluctantly._

"_It can't be," he said weakly._

"_I have warned you about her in the past but you have failed to take heed. She is DANGEROUS," he said the word with scorn and Morgana felt her insides jump upon her. She looked back to Merlin and saw a lone tear falling down his face._

"_No," he tries tiredly but the Dragon wouldn't relent._

"_And now she's chosen to turn her back on her own," _

"_I didn't turn my back on anyone!" she shouted at the Dragon, but the two ignored her. Merlin's face was a mix of denial, betrayal and hurt and Morgana almost found herself pleading with him to believe her._

"_How do I stop her," Merlin asked not looking at the Dragon. The Dragon smiled smugly and knowing as he said, "That is easy young Warlock: you must kill her."_ _Morgana's mind was areal with what she was hearing. A Mix of emotions coursed through her mind and heart as she saw the look on Merlin's face. The tears were flowing freely now but due to the heat it could have been mistaken as sweat._

"_No!" Merlin said his voice full of emotion._

"_The spell is woven with magic of such power that even you are not immune. You must act now before it's too late. If you do not Camelot will fall and Arthur will die, and the future you were destined to bring will die with you."_

_Merlin stared at the Dragon for a long time, the tears still streaming from his face. _

"_You can't tell me to do that, she's my friend! I care for her!" Merlin shouted. Morgana was surprised by the ferocity of his words._

"_You came to me asking how to stop the spell young Warlock and I have told you, whether you act upon that knowledge is up to you."_

"_You're not giving me a choice!" Merlin raged._

"_No," the Dragon said as the memory began to fade away. "I am not," _

When Morgana returned to the room in the fortress she noticed that Merlin was clutching at the wound the Hell Hound had inflicted he looked at Morgana and saw the look on her face.

"That was all a lie," she said. Merlin shook his head sadly.

"You know it's not Morgana, and Dragons can't lie so neither was Kilgharrah." Morgana jumped at the name and looked at Aithusa.

"That was Kilgharrah? Your mentor?" Aithusa nodded and roared weakly. She turned her attention back to Merlin.

"This changes nothing I won't believe it, Morgause would never have done that to me." A thought instantly came to Merlin's mind.

"Why don't you ask her then?" Merlin asked. Morgana stared at him as if he'd gone crazy.

"You're insane, you know that's impossible."

"No it isn't, I can make it so that you can ask her yourself if it's true or not."

"How?" Morgana demanded almost desperately.

"Are you familiar with The Horn of Cathbhadh?" Morgana's face toned showing that she did know of it.

"It is in the safes of Camelot. Come with me to Camelot, we'll disguise you so you won't be harmed, and stay there until the horn can be used in 6 months. I'll get it so you can speak to Morgause; after that your free to leave if you wish. What do you say?" Morgana stared down at Merlin for a moment as she contemplated his offer. As Merlin reached out his hand in a means to shake she only stared at it for a moment when her decision finally came to mind.

"When do we leave?"

Thanks for reading everyone! Also I'm in need of ideas for random filler chapters to take place during the 6 months there waiting to use the Horn, I have a few ideas but I don't want to skip intervals of months to keep the story going. So please review and send me a PM if you have any ideas or requests and I shall give a shout out to whoevers idea I used for the chapter! Thanks for reading!


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13 New Adjustments

It had been 2 weeks and Merlin had not sent word to her or Gaius about when he would return. Gwen knew that Merlin could look after himself but she couldn't help but be a little upset about Merlin not telling her he was leaving. Gaius had told her that she left to meet with an old friend of his about this upcoming demon threat, and it just gave Gwen worried that Merlin didn't always see her as a Queen but still the black smith's daughter all those years ago. She knew that she told Merlin not to treat her any differently but it goes without saying that you should at least tell your Queen when you'd be taking an extended trip. Apparently though Merlin should have returned by now for even Gaius was beginning to look worried. When she asked about it he said that Merlin should have returned no later than a few days later. She worried for her friend's safety, and hoped that he would return soon. As if a higher power had heard her wishes one of her serving girls came in through the main hall's doors and bowed as the doors behind her were shut by the guards.

"What is it Lauren?" Gwen asked in her usual sweet tone. She took it upon herself to learn the names of all of her servants and to know about them, like how Morgana had treated her all those years ago. At being addressed Lauren rose from her bow and spoke to Gwen.

"My Lady I was informed to tell you that the Court Magician has just ridden in through the gates, shall I send for him to see you?"

"Yes, please do. Thank you Lauren." Gwen said the relief obvious in her voice. Lauren left with another bow as she went to fetch Merlin. Gwen sat in her throne as she waited for Merlin to arrive. When the doors opened she smiled as she saw Merlin come through the doors, limping on his white staff, but was also surprised to see a beautiful young woman following him. She had bright blond hair and hazel eyes and wore the dress of a commoner. Gwen didn't know who she was and was curious why she was with Merlin. They both bowed before her as Merlin said, "I'm sorry to have been gone for so long Gwen, there were a few unforeseen details that arose."

"I trust that you received the information you were searching for?" Gwen asked.

"Yes, but I'm afraid that it's troubling at best," Merlin said solemnly. He told Morgana what Alice had told him (leaving out mentioning the Caileach) and what would be required to destroy a High Demon if ever one was to be summoned.

"Are there even any High Priests and Priestesses left?" Gwen asked. "Or even worse to think another Dragon out there somewhere?"

"I am unsure, hopefully it will never come to that and that we will be able to kill Marion before thing get out of hand," Merlin said flatly. Gwen thought she saw the woman beside Merlin hide a smirk but she was unable to know for sure.

_I'm seeing things_ Gwen told herself. "Is there anything the knights or other sorcerers can do to help?" Gwen asked.

"I'd have the knights double the number on patrols and have a sorcerer or two in each group. Other than that I can't think of anything else." Merlin said as he rubbed his left shoulder tenderly. Gwen nodded as she finally visibly turned her attention to the young lady beside Merlin.

"And who is this Merlin? I trust there is a reason you have brought this young woman to me."

"Of course. This is Jane Foster, she helped treat my wounds while I was gone; that was why I was gone for so long. She's a very gifted sorceress and I'd be dead if it wasn't for her."

"Well than you have my sincerest thanks Jane, you have done a great service for Camelot." Jane bowed humbly with a pleased smile on her face.

"I was only doing what I could your majesty," she replied.

"As thanks for saving me I agreed to make Jane my apprentice, if you will allow it of course." Merlin said.

"Well certainly Merlin, I will have quarters set up for Jane as soon as possible."

"Thank you Gwen but that won't be necessary; Jane will be staying with me for the duration of her training." This got surprised glances from both the women in the room.

"Are you sure Merlin? As spacious as it may be my old home may not be so comfortable with two people living in it." Merlin gave Gwen a sly knowing smile.

"That didn't stop you all those years ago my Queen." Gwen's face reddened slightly and she shot Merlin an _I can't believe you said that_ stare.

"Very well Merlin if you insist. Now I'm sure Gaius is anxious to see you so I won't keep the two of you any longer. Jane, it was an honor to meet you."

"The honor was mine my Queen," Jane said with a final bow. The two then left the main hall together with Gwen smiling slightly and shaking her head.

"That bastard," she muttered.

_Merlin's Home_

The two were silent for the entire journey to Merlin's house when they finally did reach the small home Merlin muttered a spell under his breath as they walked through the door together.

"That went rather well didn't it?" Merlin asked as he dropped into a chair while he rubbed at his left shoulder. Jane gave him a cool smile as she fingered the wrist band on her wrist.

"Oh definitely, except for the part where she thinks we're rutting it." She said just as coolly as her smile. Merlin rolled his eyes as he placed his staff on the table.

"Morgana you're insane, everyone knows I'd never do such a thing." Removing the band from her wrist the blond woman was instantly replaced by Morgana who was still smiling darkly at Merlin.

"That was your plan all along wasn't it? You planned all this just to sleep with me didn't you." She said in a seductive voice." Merlin simply rolled his eyes as he heard a knock on the door. He gave Morgana a look who put on the bracelet once again changing her image back to that of Jane's.

"It's open," Merlin called out. The door opened revealing Gaius at the door with his medicine bag around his arm. Smiling Merlin got up and embraced Gaius quickly.

"I was beginning to worry Merlin," Gaius said as he pulled away.

"About me? Nah there's nothing to worry about." Reaching into his jacket pocket he pulled out a small bag of gold coins and threw them to Morgana.

"Take these Jane and buy anything in the market you may need, I'd like to speak to Gaius alone if you don't mind." Morgana didn't say anything, just pocketed the bag of coins and walked out of the house. Gaius's expression instantly turned serious as he removed his medicine bag from around his shoulder and began taking out a number of vials.

"How bad is the wound? You didn't go in depth in your letter." Before Merlin and Morgana left the fortress he sent a letter to Gaius explaining everything that had happened to Gaius; including bringing Morgana into Camelot. Merlin removed his jacket and shirt displaying the bandaged, blood soaked wound that was left from the Hell Hound. Gaius removed the bandages and examined the wound thoroughly. He put a mixture of vials on the wound causing Merlin to hiss in pain and pleasure as he felt the wound heal more appropriately.

"I'm guessing Morgana drained the poison out of you?" Gaius asked as he wrapped a new bandage around the wound.

"Yeah but I don't think she got it all, the Crystal turned pitch black before she could finish, she said it burned to touch."

"Where is it now?" Gaius asked.

"It's atop my staff, it was the only way we could carry it without it hurting us." Gaius picked up Merlin's staff and looked at the dark crystal that rested upon it. Shaking his head he put the staff down and handed another vial to Merlin.

"Unfortunately Hell Hound poison is still dangerous even in small amounts, it'll spread through your body if we can't remove it in time. Drink that, it'll slow down the spread of the poison, you'll have to take it periodically until the Crystal clears up." Merlin nodded as he uncorked the vial and downed the contents in a single swallow. He made a disturbed face showing that it had tasted nasty causing Gaius to shake his head as he sat down next to Merlin.

"Merlin I trust your decision in bringing Morgana hear to keep her safe and under surveillance but are you sure it's a good idea? What if she attacks the citadel?"

"She won't, we made a deal and I believe she will hold her end of the bargain." Merlin assured.

"You have a lot of trust in someone whose tried to kill you and conquer Camelot constantly over the past few years," Gaius pointed out.

"We have a common interest Gaius, If Marion succeeds in summoning a High Demon into the living world were all doomed. We need to stay close together so we can defeat anything she can throw at us." Gaius nodded understanding Merlin's reasoning but still gave his apprentice a worried glance.

" I just hope you know what you're doing Merlin."

"Trust me Gaius: so do I."

Hey sorry this one was so short but I wanted to get them into Camelot to continue the story. I still need filler ideas unless you guys are all content with a couple of many time skips throughout the next few chapters. So PM me any ideas and please review! Thank you!


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14 A New Quest?

It had been two month since Morgana had returned to Camelot and she had to admit that it was… comforting, in a way to be home again. She hadn't expected things to go so well but she was glad they were, she remembered later that first they that she and Merlin had returned to Camelot how they could cut the awkwardness like butter…

_Two month earlier_

The sun had just set and Merlin was yawning as he magically lit a number of candles in his home. Gaius had left an hour ago after they had had dinner together but Morgana still had not returned. Merlin began to worry that she had used the bag of coins he had given her to leave Camelot. As if the spirits wished to prove him wrong Morgana (disguised by the power of her bracelet) opened the door and walked in with a large pile of fancy ornate dresses following her in midair. As she shut the door and turned around she was met by an unbelieving stare coming from Merlin.

"What are you gawking at?" Morgana demanded as the dresses floated over to one of the clothes cabinets. As the dresses put themselves away Merlin shook his head in disbelief as he lit the last candle on the kitchen table with his index finger.

"It takes you 8 hours to buy dresses?" Merlin asked incredulously.

"Well I wanted to make sure that I liked them, and the tailor was _so_ charming I couldn't help but spend the day chatting to him." Merlin gave Morgana a blank stare as he said,

"Oh I don't doubt it for a minute, and I'm guessing that there isn't any coin left?" Morgana gave Merlin a smug smile as she tossed Merlin a significantly smaller pouch of coins. As Merlin caught it Morgana removed her bracelet as she walked into the small wash room of the house, one of the dresses from the cabinet followed her in before Merlin heard the door shut.

"The tailor actually gave me a discount, said I was the sunshine to his day." Morgana bragged from the other room. Merlin opened the pouch of coins only to find 5 silver coins along with a handful of copper coins that now replaced the 30 gold coins that had been in the pouch previously.

"Discount my ass," Merlin muttered. He got up from his seat and limped over to a chest that was in what used to be the smithy part of the house. Merlin had taken it upon himself to make this his magic study months ago, dozens of magical artifacts and weapons hung from the wall along with dozens of spell books (including the ones filled with Kilgharrah's knowledge) which filled the shelves in the small room. The chest was more of a large foot locker that used to hold all of Gwen's fathers tools, Merlin now used it to store the more valuable things he owned. Opening the chest he threw the pouch into it where it landed on more pouches of coins which were filled with gold. The now blackened Crystal of Jadira was also in the chest along with talismans and jewels he had recently acquired throughout his time as Court Magician. As he shut the chest and re uttered the spell to keep those without permission out and turned to see that Morgana had emerged from out of the wash room wearing a black night dress that she had bought that day. Merlin couldn't help but stare at how it fit her body so perfectly and was grateful that Morgana didn't notice his staring.

"So where am I going to be sleeping?" Morgana asked as she moved back into the kitchen. Merlin limped back rubbing his left shoulder again as he took his seat at the table again.

"You'll sleep in my bed it's the only one in the house anyways." The statement surprised Morgana and a smirk instantly crossed her face hiding her blush.

"Don't flatter yourself Merlin, just because you bought me a few dresses doesn't mean I'm willing to share a bed with you."

"Which is why I'll be sleeping in my study," Merlin replied bluntly wiping the smirk off of Morgana's face. "The chair in there is more comfortable to me anyway."

"Oh," Morgana replied as she turned her back to Merlin and walked into his room. As soon as she slammed the door shut Merlin sighed as he rubbed his forehead with his index finger and thumb.

_What have I got myself into?_ Merlin thought to himself. He picked himself up and limped his self-back to the study where he gently sank into the soft cushions of his easy chair. It truly was softer that his bed in his opinion and he spent most nights in it anyway. It wasn't long until Merlin managed to drift asleep; as he slept he dreamt that Arthur hadn't died and that he was still King, treating him as his servant as he always had. Merlin would have traded his chest of coins and title just to have his old friend back. Unfortunately he was awakened from a panicked shout coming from his room. He rushed into the room only to find Morgana thrashing in her sleep. She had broken out in a sweat and she was moaning about someone leaving her.

_All these years and she still has nightmares,_ Merlin thought to himself. He looked around his room briefly before turning into the kitchen where he saw Morgana's bracelet. While it now had the added enchantment to disguise Morgana anytime she wore it; it still had the original healing properties Morgause had put on it years ago. With the bracelet in hand he walked back into the room and slipped the bracelet on Morgana's wrist. Along with her appearance changing instantly she calmed down gradually and Merlin let out a sigh in relief. Using the bed sheet he wiped the sweat from Morgana's brow before he left the room. As soon as he left Morgana awoke and looked down at her wrist and was surprised to see her bracelet on. She looked at the open door and uttered a silent thanks that only she had heard.

_Present time_

Merlin had been extremely civil towards Morgana, and she knew very well that he didn't have to. While he awoke every morning early to tend to his duties he would always have a small breakfast waiting for her on the table for when she awoke, and next to it was always a small pouch of silver (he had learned not to waste gold) beside it. She would normally travel around the town and speak to the other women of Camelot, sharing random gossip and what not. It had been so long since Morgana had been accepted by people willingly and not through fear or torture. And at nights Merlin would call Aithusa for Morgana to meet her in the forest, as if he knew that she wanted that. At first Morgana had deflected all of Merlin's kind acts with cold humor and sneers, but it got harder when he didn't respond to it. It was a month before Morgana started showing any signs of gratitude to Merlin. It was hard for her after all these years and it was difficult for her to simply change…

_One month earlier_

Merlin had awoken early as usual and was walking into the kitchen with his robes on and staff in hand. When he looked up from his exhaustion he was surprised to see two plates with two eggs on each and a bowl of fruit in the middle of the table.

"Good Morning Merlin," Morgana said warmly with a small smile. Merlin turned to see her at the small stone oven in the house with an apron on.

"Good Morning," Merlin said suspiciously as he watched Morgana take a seat at the table. After a few seconds of rushed stares between the food and Morgana Merlin finally cracked and asked the obvious question. "What's all this?" he asked gesturing to the food on the table.

"I thought I'd make us breakfast," Morgana said simply with another smile. She then pointed to the seat in front of her and silently gestured for Merlin to sit. With a suspicious smile forming at the corner of his mouth Merlin puts his staff down and joins Morgana at the table. He waits for Morgana to start eating and once she does he begins to eat the eggs on his plate. The two ate in silence for a few minutes but Merlin could tell that there was something on Morgana's mind. Finally after 20 minutes of the awkward silence Morgana finally spoke up.

"I've come to realize that I… haven't been as grateful to you as I should be."

"Don't worry about it," Merlin interrupted with a mouthful of egg. "It's no big deal."

"But it is a big deal," Morgana said stubbornly, some of her ice creeping back into her words. She took a deep breath to clear her voice before continuing. "Since you saved me from Marion, the first time, you not only saved my life once but _three _times, took me in, protected me and made me feel welcome. After everything I've done to you and Camelot, you've been very decent to me."

"Really Morgana it's no big deal," Merlin assured.

"Merlin shut up I'm trying to be grateful and you're making it difficult," Morgana snapped. Merlin raised his hands in apology and motioned for Morgana to continue. Taking another deep breath Morgana opened her emerald green eyes and stared at Merlin's sapphire blue eyes and said,

"What I'm trying to say is… I am very grateful for all that you've done for me and I just wanted to say… Thank You." The two stared at each other for a few seconds, finally Merlin swallowed his mouthful of egg and said,

"You're Welcome Morgana." They had both smiled to each other, truly and without any ulterior motive. It was the beginning of a healed friendship.

_Present day_

Since then Merlin and Morgana began spending more time together and grew closer together, almost as close as they were before Morgana was taken away by Morgause. Over time Merlin even started giving Morgana permission to use some of his books and magical tools, he had slowly turned to trust Morgana and she him in return. One morning as the two were enjoying a lunch of roasted chicken and bread a knock at the door was heard. Morgana instantly put on her bracelet as Merlin opened the door revealing a messenger from the castle.

"What is it Toby?" Merlin asked the young man.

"It's the Queen my lord she wishes to see you immediately." Merlin looked back at Morgana with a frown who responded with a furrowed brow. Merlin then turned his attention back to the boy and said,

"I'll be there immediately."

It wasn't long until Merlin and Morgana were in the Castle approaching the main hall.

"What do you think Gwen wants?" Morgana asked. Merlin merely shook his head.

"Your guess is as good as mine Jane but it must be important." She nodded as the two entered the main hall. When they entered they saw Gwen already seated on her thrown with two, very short, well bearded men standing before her. On seeing them enter Gwen smiled and greeted the two.

"Ahh Merlin, Jane I'm glad you came. I'd like to introduce you to Lord Baldrick Dundar and his son Barik, Dwarves from the northern kingdom of Hrothgar." As soon as Gwen had said the word Dwarves Merlin's eyes clouded as Kilgharrah's voice spoke to him of Dwarfs.

_Dwarves are one of the oldest races to live above and under the earth. They prefer to live underground in their cavern cities, emerging only to engage in trade with 'top siders' as they'd call humans. They have a monarchy of their own and follow their own laws and rules. It is said that the only Dwarf that can be trusted is an exiled one, for he has lost the rights to be called Dwarf and is forced to live above ground and live away from his people._

As Merlin regained consciousness he saw that Baldrick had approached him and had a hand extended.

"It is a pleasure to meet you Merlin," he said in an old hearty voice. Merlin smiled as he clamped hands with the Dwarf. "The pleasure is mine," he assured the Dwarf. Baldrick chuckled as he turned his attention to Morgana.

"And who is this lovely creature," he asked looking at Morgana.

"My name is Jane my lord, a pleasure to meet you," she said holding her hand out for him. The old Dwarf grabbed Morgana's hand in his big hand and gently brought his lips to her hand.

"If only they had such beauty back in my home city, I may have never considered leaving." Morgana giggled at the compliment as Gwen recalled everyone's attention.

"Lord Dundar, please explain to us why you have come to Camelot. We have never had a Dwarf grace our halls before."

"No, and that is due to my people's stubbornness my Queen. But I find myself in a delicate situation and have come seeking aid."

"What sort of aid?" Gwen asked curiously. Baldrick reached into his sleeve and pulled out an old, crumpled rolled up piece of parchment and held it in his hands as he spoke.

"My people are facing the threat of a civil war, the Kings of our cities fight over petty grievances and century old grudges that have all but been forgotten, but the largest is of the Dwarves love for gold. The King's for whatever reason have become greedy, even by a Dwarf's standard. They threaten to attack one another in the attempt to greaten their fortunes, but they do so at the sacrifice of the lords who follow them."

"What do you mean sacrifice the lords?" Gwen asked.

"Like in your fine city each Dwarven city has nobles, 13 different noble houses in each one and each one loyal to its king. Unfortunately when the Dwarves declare war they first take the warriors and men from the Lords, along with a great deal of our riches to fund the war. Now normally we would do this without hesitation, but never against our own kind for the sake of monetary gain."

"So you wish for Camelot to send aid to help your king to fight?" Gwen asked skeptically.

"No No! Not at all, if I were to bring human fighters to fight for my king my house and family would be exiled."

"What is it you would want from us?" Gwen asked. Baldric held up the map that was in his hand and presented it to the Queen.

"Long ago the Dwarves had an army that could crush all with its might, an army of Golems to fight at our command." Merlin's concentration was broken from more knowledge from Kilgharrah.

_The creation of the Golems was easily the greatest feats the Dwarfs had ever accomplished. Created from Stone, Steel, and Onyx, the hardest substance on earth (even more so than Diamond) these creatures were feared and sought after. Immune to all forms of physical damage and to most forms of magical damage, only the Dwarfs and their earth based magic were able to craft these magnificent creatures but unfortunately few know the way to create them and fewer remain around to this day._

"The King of my city, King Dworkin, does not wish to go to war for wealth. He wishes only to defend his people from the attack of the other cities. Unfortunately our city is small and has the fewest amount of Golems at our disposal and will not allow us to last long."

"Can your people not make more of these creatures?" Gwen asked.

"Yes but it would not be enough, there is only one in the city of Hrothgar who can forge a Golem and it takes months to simply start one. Fortunately a map has been passed down from my family that is supposed to lead to an abandoned city that was known for creating Golems. There we will be able to find ancient and forgotten texts on how to build the strongest of Golems, maybe even some abandoned Golems that could be used to defend our city with renewed strength."

"This all sounds good Lord Dundar but why would you need Camelot's aid? Wouldn't your own people want to help find this lost city?" Gwen asked. Baldric looked down sadly and sighed with a tone of regret.

"Unfortunately all but my family believes the city to be a myth, a legend forgotten in time. But I know that it exists, it must! So to seek aid my son and I came to the surface to ask for aid from the top sider nobles. Please Queen Pendragon you must help us!" Gwen thought it over for a few moments before looking back at Baldrick.

"I will need to discuss this with my council first Lord Dundar, I will have an answer for you by tomorrow. Do you have a copy of the map that we may observe?" Baldrick shook his head. "Merlin would you mind then?" Knowing what Gwen meant Merlin grabbed a sheet of paper from the desk to his side, he then took the map from Baldrick and made a perfect copy of it. Baldrick's eyes widened at the sight and turned his attention back to the Queen.

"Queen Pendragon this map has been the only copy for over 30 generations in my family, please promise me that regardless if you agree to help or not that you will destroy that copy." He pleaded

"You have my word Lord Dundar; I will be ready with my decision this time tomorrow. Meeting adjourned." Baldrick bowed to Gwen one last time before leaving the room with his son. As they left Merlin heard them speaking in an odd language that he could only guess as Dwarfish. Gwen immediately summoned the council who seated themselves around the table for the matter of discussion. Morgana had left due to not being a part of the council.

"His pleas seem genuine enough, but what do we know of these Golems? And do we really want the dwarves to have an army of them?" Gwen asked.

"My lady Golems are creatures made of the hardest substances on earth found only in the deep tunnels by the dwarven cities." Merlin explained.

"Are they dangerous?" Drygor asked plainly.

"I would think so, but from what I know about Dwarfs their only a danger to their enemies." Merlin said.

"And why wouldn't the Dwarves want to attack us now if they had the numbers to?" Sir Leon asked quizzically. It was Geoffrey who answered the question.

"The Dwarfs have never once attacked the surface even with their army of Golems in the past, they have always preferred living in their tunnels underground. And helping them may have them show some form of gratefulness towards us in the future. Few kingdoms can say they have the aid of a Dwarven city."

"Where does the map say the city is anyway?" Gaius asked. Drygor opened the map Merlin had made a copy of and studied it quizzically.

"Well the city is some ways underground, I can't tell where, but the entrance leading underground is somewhere on the far outskirts of Cenred's kingdom." This got murmurings from a few of the people.

"Let us not forget that we are at peace with Cenred," Gwen pointed out.

"But will he acknowledge that peace if we send our men into his kingdom?" Leon pointed out. Gwen shook her head in thought as she turned to look at Merlin.

"What is your say in this Merlin?" she asked.

"In all honesty I don't know, Baldrick seems to be a decent fellow but I know nothing of Dwarfs or their sense of honors. We should ask him what it is he'd need and how payment would be received."

"That seems a fair idea, I want to help him but not if it staggers Camelot. Very well meeting adjourned." With that the council dispatched as Merlin and Gaius left the room together talking about the possibility of the quest.

"Do you know anything about Golems?" Merlin asked.

"I'm afraid not, Dwarfs have always been a secretive race and never want to share anything with humans. For a lord to ask for help from humans is unheard of."

"Do you think it to be a trap of some kind?"

"No I don't think so," Gaius admitted. "From what I know Dwarfs never pick a fight for no reason. Only to protect their sense of honor and protect what is theirs."

"Well I suppose that we're just going to have to wait and see wont we?" Merlin said with a sly smile. Gaius returned the smile as he went into his pouch and handed Merlin a large vial.

"Your medicine for the month, I'm surprised that the Hell Hound wound is still affecting you."

"It must be the poison, Jane mustn't have gotten all of it." Merlin mused rubbing at his left shoulder.

"And the Crystal is still black?" Gaius asked. Merlin replied with a nod and said,

"It's turned into a lighter, almost gray color but I feel it's still too soon use it."

"Well at least the pain is manageable than," Gaius said optimistically. They said their good byes as they reached Gaius's chambers and Merlin deciding, since it was still early, to visit the tavern for a bit before heading home. Arthur had always complained about him being in the tavern (although he was never there when accused of it) but now that he had the choice to go freely he'd frequent the tavern at Camelot at least twice a week. As he walked into the Crouched Lion he saw it was filled as usual with regular towns people, knights and a number of sorcerers from out of town. Merlin was surprised to see Baldrick sitting at the bar with a large mug of Ale that seemed large for his small frame. Taking a seat next to him Merlin got his attention.

"Ah Merlin was it? Please join me I could use the company."

"How has your stay been Lord Dundar?" Merlin asked.

"Oh please just Baldrick, no need for titles in a pub, and it has been a decent enough stay. Your kinds have been very accommodating to me and my son."

"Is he here to?"

"Oh no he's in our room upstairs, I'm afraid he's angry with me at the moment," Baldrick admitted downing the Ale in his glass like he would a glass of water.

"Why is he mad at you?" Merlin inquired as he ordered a drink.

"He thinks I am beseeching the Dundar name by asking humans for help. He is a Dwarf set in the old ways I'm afraid. It's not anything to be ashamed of to ask for aid from others, even if most of them don't have beards." Merlin laughed at the quip as the bar maid brought two mugs of Ale out for Merlin and Baldrick. As Merlin took a swig from his mug he reached into the pocket in his jacket and handed the map copy to the Dwarf who accepted it gratefully.

"Were any other copies made?" Baldrick asked suspiciously.

"No that is the only one."

"Good," he replied. He held the copy in his hand and placed his second hand over the sheet of paper, when he removed it the paper had caught fire and was burning in the palm of his hand.

"You can do magic?" Merlin asked obviously.

"Yes, all Dwarves can use magic to an extent. We excel in anything that has to do with the Earth and natural metals, and smiths have an adept skill with fire as well. It's how we forge the body of our Golems."

"How do the Dwarfs craft Golems?" Merlin asked. Baldrick looked hesitant for a moment but shook his head and swallowed half of his ale in one go.

"I'm not sure about the inner mechanics, but the shell of a Golem, its body, is crafted using stone, steel or onyx. Onyx Golems are very hard to craft for if you make a mistake the shell is ruined. They use the fire to tempt the ores and stone and then their affinity controlling the stone to shape it how they wish. It's a very time consuming process."

"How are they brought to life?" Merlin asked. "It must be some form of magic,"

"Yes but unfortunately that is one of the most well kept secrets of the Dwarven race. Even if I did know I wouldn't be able to tell you." Baldrick explained.

"I understand," Merlin said drinking his ale. They continued speaking at the bar for a few hours speaking of random stories in their past and getting drunk enough that un humorous things were hysterical. Finally when the bartender had had enough of them Baldrick returned to his room while Merlin slumped out of the bar and back to his house. He got lost a dozen times on his way back and ended up having to give a little boy a gold coin to help him find his house. Finally he barges in the door to find a surprised looking Jane sitting at the kitchen table with a book in her hand. She was wearing one of her black night dresses and had been reading when Merlin fell through the door way.

"Merlin are you all right?" she asked with a concerned tone.

"O'course I'mmm arrright," He slurred as he picked himself up from the floor and sat at the table across from her. She sniffed the air a few times and with a furrowed face from the smell she shut her book and said,

"Merlin you're as drunk as a spoiled lord." She exclaimed.

"Iaam not!" Merlin argued as he swayed in his chair. Morgana gave him a disbelieving look as she held up two fingers.

"How many fingers am I holding up Merlin?" she asked quizzically. Merlin stared at her and the fingers for a few moments before finally muttering.

"True you ARE holding fingers up," which brought him in a fit of laughing. With a scowl Morgana shook her head and said, "Yes Merlin you are very drunk, come on let's get you to bed." Morgana then led Merlin into his room where she lied him on the bed much to his protestations.

"If ima sleep inda bed where rrr you gonna sleep?" Merlin slurred half asleep and all drunk.

"Don't you worry about me," Morgana assured as she through the covers atop of Merlin. "Just sleep this off and be ready to wake up early in the morning." Merlin grumbled like a two year old not wanting to fall asleep but as he finally started to drift off Morgana heard him mutter one last thing before nodding off.

"Don't I get a kiss good'night from the pretty lady?" Morgana felt her cheeks flush as she looked down at Merlin who was now fast asleep in his bed. Morgana couldn't believe that she had heard him say that.

_He's drunk, its nothing to worry about_ Morgana thought to herself as she got up from sitting on the bed and walked towards the door way. She stopped before leaving the room and turned back to look at Merlin's form who was now mumbling about wanting a jigger of pickle water for his flying pony. Before Morgana left she gave a smile at Merlin's childish drunken nature as she left the room and blew out the candle in the kitchen. As she sat down in Merlin's easy chair one final thought crossed her mind.

_How the hell is this chair softer than the bed?_

Thanks for reading, please review!


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15 Before the Expedition

The next day early in the morning everyone was gathered in the main hall to decide whether Baldrick's request would be meet or not. His son wasn't in the room, just Gwen, Baldrick and Merlin whose head was still pounding from the night before. He was surprised to see that Baldrick was in much higher spirits and didn't seem to be suffering from a hangover as Merlin was. Of course he put on his straight face, not wanting to alarm Gwen of his condition, as she spoke to Baldrick about his request.

"Now Baldrick, I am inclined to help you in this voyage of yours but before I promise anything I will need to know exactly what it is you require from Camelot."

"Of course my Queen," Baldrick said with a bow. "What I require is a group of strong abled bodied men, perhaps a dozen to twenty men, provisions for the trip: preferably dried meats and greens for easy access and abundancy, a few mages to aid me and my son in moving the stone of the tunnels and a number of horses and carts to haul what we find." The Queen contemplated Baldrick's request as she looked down at the list she had made of the requested supplies Baldrick had just listed.

"Well the men shouldn't be a problem but the provisions and other supplies will cost a bit of coin-"

"Oh I hope you did not think of me as being gifted these things!" Baldrick interrupted. He reached to his belt where he revealed a very large sack which Merlin could only assume was coin.

"I was of course going to pay for the provisions, horses, wagons and salaries of the men out of mine own pocket. Being a Dwarven noble does have some privileges I suppose." Gwen stared at the sack in surprise, not expecting the Dwarf lord to pay for any of the requested items he had listed.

"Well then there's no problem there then," Gwen said finally more calm. "Although I would have to ask Merlin if any of the sorcerers would be skilled enough for what you've requested."

"I believe that Boris and Selma would do well enough for the task your majesty, I can have them ready at your command," Merlin said. He noticed Baldrick shoot him a toothy grin before looking back at Gwen with a businessman's stare on his face.

"Well then I suppose that all I need ask now is what the gain to Camelot for aiding you is? Obviously you may afford to hire any who you may want on an expedition as such, but how will us helping you benefit Camelot?" Gwen asked. Merlin couldn't help but smile, she was being very diplomatic about this unlike Arthur would have been. He'd have heard the notion of adventure and jump into in immediately. Baldrick considered Gwen's words for a moment before answering.

"As I said before the city has been lost for hundreds of years, but I swear to you that if what I believe is true, we will find riches to satisfy us both. I have no need for any gold that we may find; I want only the secrets of the golems to help my people, anything we find not kept secret for the dwarves is yours my lady." Gwen thought for several seconds before finally nodding her head in agreement.

"Very well but I have one final request before I agree to your terms Baldrick,"

"Yes milady?" Baldrick asked uneasily.

"It's not that I don't trust you but I would feel better if someone I trusted accompanied you, I request that you take Merlin along with you." Her request surprised Merlin but Baldrick didn't seem to mind.

"I agree to your term milady," Baldrick said enthusiastically. Gwen nodded and told the Dwarf lord to begin purchasing what he'd need from the royal stock and to pick the men he wished to bring. Baldrick nodded excitedly as he left the main hall with what Merlin could only assume to be a spring in his step. When he left the hall Merlin turned his attention to Gwen.

"So why do you really want me to go on this expedition?" Merlin asked. Gwen looked at Merlin innocently as she rose from her throne and walked out of the hall with Merlin in tow.

"What do you mean Merlin?" she asked innocently.

"Gwen please don't toy with me, what's going on?"

"In truth I want you to see these golems first hand, if there are any, and tell me if they have any weaknesses we could exploit. I trust that Baldrick wouldn't declare war against us but if the Dwarf kings are attacking their own there could be a good chance that they choose to attack the surface. I want you to go because I trust you more than anyone else amongst the sorcerers. Will you do it?"

"Of course," Merlin said without hesitation.

"Good, then stop questioning your queen and get ready," she teased. As soon as the meeting had ended well Merlin ran into Baldrick at the town square and was surprised to see the progress that he had made in such a short time. He had already purchased several wagons and a horse for the twenty men he had already chosen and employed since the minutes he had left the main hall. As they spoke the wagons were being loaded with what seemed like months' worth of provisions.

"Will we really need all this?" Merlin asked.

"I am unsure; the trip to the tunnel entrance shouldn't take us more than a week. The trip in the tunnels could take days, weeks, even months I am not sure. All I know is I would rather be well stocked and ready for anything."

"A fair point," Merlin pointed. "When do you wish to leave?"

"If you can get your mages ready I would like to leave at first light tomorrow. The sooner we can hit the stone the better," Merlin nodded as he left, he sent mental messages to Boris and Selma informing them of the task they were to undertake and they both agreed to meet Merlin and the Dwarf at first light tomorrow. Merlin then walked into his house where he saw Morgana at the table eating a piece of fruit from the bowl on the table.

"How did the meeting go?" she asked as Merlin sat across from her.

"Gwen agreed aid Baldrick; we leave for the expedition tomorrow at dawn."

"What do you mean _we_ leave?" Morgana asked coyly.

"Gwen wants me to go on the expedition with the Dwarfs, said she wants me to examine the golems for any weaknesses in case the Dwarfs attack the surface. I think it's ridiculous but there's no arguing with Gwen you know that." Merlin began rubbing his left shoulder as it tinged with pain, with a frown Merlin got up to walk to one of the cabinets as he took one of the many bottles of medicine Gaius had prepared for him. As he downs a vial's contents Morgana gets up eyeing Merlin with her hands on her hips.

"And exactly where am I when you go on this expedition hmmmm?" Merlin froze as he put the vial down unsure and worried about where the conversation was leading to.

"What are you talking about?" Merlin asked.

"Well am I going with you or am I staying here in Camelot?" Morgana demanded. Merlin's mouth was hanging agape as he slowly worked his way towards the open door outside.

"Well in all honesty I hadn't thought to ask Gwen if you could come or not but I have no problem leaving and asking her for you," As Merlin turned abruptly to get outside the door shut on its own and the lock fell into place preventing Merlin from leaving the small house.

"Nice try," Morgana said from behind.

"Look if it bothers you that much I'll tell Gwen I need you to come with me, I'm sure Baldrick wouldn't mind another sorceress coming along."

"Merlin do you really think I care about what Gwen wants me to do? I'm worried that you still haven't recovered from the Hell Hound's poison, and that happened months ago!"

"Morgana I'm fine," Merlin assured her but she wouldn't stop shaking her head.

"Merlin you've been taking more and more of that potion Gaius made for you every day. I'm worried that the poison isn't dyeing off."

"It's not a big deal Morgana, as soon as the Crystal of Jadira has cleansed itself we'll get rid of whatever's left of the poison and I'll never have to drink those potions again."

"Are you really that blind Merlin?" Morgana demanded. Her tone surprised Merlin he didn't think he had said anything to upset her had he?

"What do you mean?" he asked cluelessly. Morgana looked as if she wanted to say something but she ended up shaking her head.

"Just… forget I said anything," she said in a huff. She then left the house in silence slamming the door behind her. Merlin just stared at the door for a few seconds before finally shouting out after her,

"WHAT DID I DO?!" Unsure of what happened he decided he'd stop by Gaius's home and tell him of the expedition. He just warned Merlin to be careful and to let him make a few extra batches of the medicine to keep the pain in check. As he's making the poultice Merlin is explaining how Morgana freaked out on him after telling her that he was going on the expedition. Gaius shook his head and Merlin was confused again at the notion.

"Gaius come on you have to tell me if I did something wrong," Merlin pleaded. Putting down the large bottle Gaius rolled his eyes before looking at Merlin directly in the eye.

"Merlin are you really that daft?"

"What do you mean?" Merlin asked hurt.

"It's obvious that Morgana has grown fond of you since you brought her here two months ago Merlin, it's so obvious that half the knights and the castle staff have a poll on when you'll realize it!" Gaius's blunt words shocked Merlin and he was quick to try and rebuke it when Gaius went on to prove his point.

"Merlin please trust me, I have been around for quite a while and know when women drop…_hints_"

"Please Gaius what kind of _hints_ could you be referring to?" Merlin demanded. Gaius broke out laughing as Merlin raised an eyebrow in confusion and scorn.

"Merlin please! She rarely ever leaves your side, she's always within arm's reach of you – as if _trying _to wordlessly get you to make a move, she fixes your appearance before you speak with anyone of importance, please Merlin don't make me spell it out for you. From what I and half of Camelot can tell she cares deeply for you you dolt!" Merlin just stood there as he tried adding everything together when suddenly it all added together and a sense of idiocracy coursed through his body.

"I am an idiot!"

"No one's arguing with you there Merlin," Gaius pointed out handing Merlin the large container of his medicine. He then put his hand on Merlin's back and pushed him out of his quarters.

"And your certainly not going to solve anything staying here whining to me." Nodding Merlin hurried home with a quick plan to try and make things right between him and Morgana.

_Outside the city of Camelot_

"I swear Aithusa your father can be such an idiot sometimes!" Morgana complained as she patted the Dragon's flank. Since they had returned to Camelot months ago Aithusa stayed as close as possible to the city in the event that Merlin or Morgana needed her. They both visited her frequently, sometimes together other times alone, but even Aithusa could tell that the two had stopped fighting and were relatively close. Aithusa chuckled at Morgana's complaint at Merlin causing Morgana to smile despite her anger at Merlin.

"Stop it, you know I'm right! He jumps into any adventure he can get into the moment there's a possibility, I swear he's just like Arthur in that regard." Aithusa cocked her head curiously, she and Merlin had mentioned Arthur numerous times but Aithusa had only seen him a handful of times. Why was he so important? It obviously wasn't important at the present time because Morgana kept on ranting about Merlin's cluelessness. Aithusa watches Morgana pace and listens but isn't quite comfortable at hearing her friend speak ill of her father, even if there wasn't any ice behind her anger. Suddenly the two froze as they heard rustling from the path behind them, Aithusa was about to flee but stopped when she realized it was Merlin. At seeing him walk into the clearing she bounded to her father humming affectionately as he rubbed her neck.

"I thought I'd find you out here," Merlin said as he turned his attention to look at Morgana. Morgana crossed her arms and put a few strands of her blond hair behind her head.

"What worried that I'd run off?" she said sarcastically. Aithusa prmmd disapprovingly as she lay down under a tree watching Merlin and Morgana argue.

"Look I came out here to talk to you," Merlin tried to explain.

"Well go ahead and talk then," Morgana said curtly crossing her arms. Merlin opened his mouth to attempt to say something but unfortunately he sighed in disappointment as his shoulders slumped.

"To be perfectly honest I'm not sure how to handle situations like this," he admitted.

"What kind of situations? Angry women storm out of your home regularly?" Morgana scolded.

"Yes… wait no! GAHH I don't know," Merlin said thrusting his arms in the air as he sat down with his back on Aithusa's side. "Look Morgana I know that I'm a fool-"

"That's the understatement of the century," Morgana interrupted.

"See that's not helping!" Merlin said pointedly as he stood up again to stare Morgana down. "I obviously did something wrong and I obviously don't know _what _I did! So if you could, you know, give me a hint… ?" Morgana leveled Merlin with a cold stare and raised her hands at Merlin, Merlin flinched expecting Morgana to throw a spell at him but was completely unprepared for Morgana to wrap her arms around Merlin's neck in a tender embrace.

"Don't ask me why Merlin but for whatever reason I don't want to see you getting hurt anymore. You already nearly died saving my life more than once, I don't want you to die because you want to go on some crazy adventure."

"That's why you think I'm going?" Merlin asked pushing Morgana back slightly to look her in the eyes. (her arms still wrapped around Merlin's neck.) "I was serious when I told you Gwen wanted me to go Morgana. Believe me a few weeks underground _isn't_ exactly what I'd call a holiday." Morgana looked down, a small trace of shame crossing her face as she said solemnly

"I know, I'm sorry Merlin." Merlin closed the distance between the two of them and brought Morgana back into the embrace, wrapping his arms around her waist as they held each other for a few minutes.

"I'm honored that you worry about me though," Merlin said honestly.

"Don't get any ideas Merlin," Morgana teased, "I'm only here so I can use your horn remember?" Merlin chuckled slightly as he pushed Morgana back again to look her in the eyes. The emerald hue glowing back at him as he gazed into her eyes. He felt that there was something he should do before pulling away but alas all he could do was say,

"Come on, let's go home." They said there good byes to Aithusa and walked back into the city arm in arm.

_The next day_

Early the next morning there was a large group of people in the court yard in front of the castle. Baldrick and his son were on their horses as the men Baldrick had selected were loading the last of the provisions and tools onto the wagons. Boris and Selma were also on their horses waiting to leave for the expedition. Merlin was saying his goodbyes to Gaius and Gwen with Jane close at his side.

"Do be careful Merlin, I'd hate to hear that you died due to a cave in or something," Gaius joked as he embraced his student.

"Just hold out raiding my house for loot until my body is found," Merlin joked back. He then turned to face Gwen who had a hidden worried look that Merlin had learned to spot out.

"Be careful Merlin," she said. "If anything goes wrong send word and I will do everything in my power to send aid."

"I'm sure I'll be fine my Queen," Merlin said with a bow. As he turned to walk down the steps at the bottom of the stairs he reached out his hands and grabbed Jane by the waist, surprising her and a number of the people in the court yard.

"Will you be all right while I'm gone?" Merlin asked worriedly. Jane scoffed casually.

"I'll be fine, it's you that has to survive the chance of being buried alive," she joked. Her expression turned serious as she put her arms around Merlin's shoulders.

"Do promise to be careful though," she insisted. Merlin nodded saying,

"You have my word." He was about to turn to leave when Jane grabbed Merlin's head with her hands and kissed him quickly surprising him (and upsetting) a number of people the court yard. When she pulled away she had a coy smile on her face while he had a goofy confused grin on his face.

"Be careful," She said again as she walked away back to the house. As Merlin mounted Honey he noticed that a number of the people in the courtyard were putting coins in a chest and were going around finding other people who were shaking their head as they emptied their coin purses into the chest.

_I wonder what that's about, _Merlin thought to himself as he trots Honey over to Baldrick's side. Baldrick doesn't say anything about the kiss, to excited about his expedition to think of anything else. The company of people ride out of the city as Gwen and Gaius watch them leave with smiles on their faces.

"I guess things will be more interesting when he returns won't they?" Gwen asked.

"I believe so you're Majesty," Gaius said with a smile. He then held up a piece of paper as the man with the chest appeared leaving it opened in front of a surprised Gwen.

"Your winnings," the man said presenting the chest.

"But I didn't win the poll," Gwen said confused.

"No I did," Gaius said smugly handing the paper to Gwen. "I had them getting together on the 14th, quite lucky if I do say so myself." Gwen gave a smirk at Gaius as she threw a surprisingly large pouch of coins into the chest as well as Gaius instructed the young man to carry his winnings to his chambers.

"Yes, lucky indeed" Gwen said well humoredly.

AN: Hey everyone thanks for reading! I added a bit of romance in their for the holiday, hope I planned it out ok story wise. Please review and give me your input and I'll see you soon!


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Three days had passed since Merlin and the company had left Camelot and began their journey to find the lost Dwarven city. They were making good time in their travel due to Baldric's excitement, however most of the men were not happy with their lack of rest. Of the three days they had been traveling they had spent 10 hours in total not moving, many of the men took sleeping in their saddles just so they wouldn't pass out otherwise. Merlin was a little worse for wear but wasn't willing to complain about it, the same was said of Boris and Selma. Boris was an older man in his mid-fifties who used to be a smith and a black market enchanter. He was very capable in enchanting everyday items and in moving the metal in his smithing for more perfected weaponry. Selma was a younger woman, probably Merlin's age, who was an adept at nature magic. She had insisted that a druid had taught her her skills but none admitted to doing so. Regardless both of their skills would be very helpful in the tunnels. When they reached the border of Cenred's kingdom (several days ahead of schedule) Baldrick decided that they could rest for the rest of the day and continue on the next morning. The men were obviously grateful for this and unloaded the tents and supplies quickly not wanting to waste anytime taking a break.

In a matter of minutes the camp was set the men were all asleep while Merlin, Boris, Selma and Baldric sat around a fire, Baldric's son was nowhere in sight, and he realized that he hadn't heard him say a word at all since meeting the dwarfs. When Merlin mentioned this to Baldric he sighed sadly.

"My son is a firm believer that the Dwarven nobles shouldn't ask for outside help from the top sider nobles. That's what the old tradition is, but I believe that tradition in this regard needs to change."

"So your son hates humans then?" Boris asked bluntly.

"More like a strong distrust; do not mind him or anything he may do. Before he left he made a vow upon our ancestors not to speak to an outsider: if he were to do so now would damage his pride."

"He acts like a fool then," Boris replied bluntly yet again.

"Yes agreed, but there is little we can do about it now." Baldric sighed. The small group eventually petered out returning to their tents, Merlin was the last to go staring at the fire in front of him for a source of mild entertainment. He heard footsteps from behind him and turned to see Baric walk into the camp with a silenced tone across his face. Not expecting anything from him conversation wise Merlin turned back around to look at the fire. He could feel Baric walk to his tent and when he did Merlin put out the fire and went to sleep in his tent. The next day Baldric awoke everyone before the sun was in the sky much to the dismay to the men on the payroll. He insisted that with another good day's travel that they'd be able to reach the mines by night fall. As they progressed Merlin noticed Boris playing with a few cheap necklaces he had gotten in Camelot before they left.

"What are you doing?" Merlin asked as he observed Boris reciting an inaudible spell.

"Who knows what could happen in the tunnels, I'm enchanting these so that if you me or Selma gets lost we will be able to find each other."

"A locator spell?"

"Basically," Boris explained as he tossed one over to Merlin. "Just make sure to keep it on or it won't work." Nodding Merlin put the necklace over his neck as it lay above his shirt over the scale of Kilgharrah that was under his shirt. The company continued to travel as they progressed through Cenred's kingdom. They progressed slowly now though. Although they were at peace Merlin wouldn't put it past the corrupt king to try to take out any travelers not native to this kingdom. That however wasn't what happened. As they progressed Merlin had the strangest feeling that they were walking into some kind of trap, but no matter how hard he tried he couldn't tell where or how. He was snapped back into attention when Honey began to freak out from under him, before he had a chance to respond Baric appeared out of nowhere and shoved him off of Honey and to the ground. Merlin was about to tell him off until he saw a blast of dark fire struck Honey from above roasting the old mare where she stood. Merlin looked up to see the un desired form of Marion hovering above the trees behind them. She was wearing the same black dress as she had months ago and did not have her demon appearance on display.

"RUUUN!" Merlin yelled out as the others tried to calm their frantic horses. Marion laughed maniacally as she launched another blast of dark fire towards the group. Baric however was ready for the attack, as he landed he put both of his hands to the ground and a half shaped dome covered the group as the fire hit the erect earth.

"Everyone ride go GO!" Baldric yelled as the men and he began ridding away from the floating woman. Selma and Boris stayed behind covering Merlin as he got up from the ground.

"Who is she?" Selma demanded raising her arms up to defend against any oncoming spells.

"Bad, very bad," was all Merlin was able to stutter as he got up from the ground. Not waiting for any more instructions Selma sprang into action. Uttering a spell Merlin had never heard before he watched as the trees below Marion began to shake, almost instantly the one closest to Marion sprang to life swatting a branched limb at the floating witch. Not expecting the attack Marion was swatted from the sky into a cluster of trees.

"I'm guessing that's not going to hold her for long," Selma said, sweating slightly from animating the nearby trees. The trees that had been animated were slowly making their way towards Marion as the group recovered there calm. Merlin got his two followers and the dwarf to get back on their horses to get away. As he changed form into a stag he noticed a pillar of black fire erupting from where Marion had landed. His only guess was that Marion had defeated the trees. The four rode off (or in Merlin's case ran) to catch up with Baldrick and the other men they were fortunate to catch up with them but there luck had apparently ended, on seeing the group Baldric was talking to a group of knights who didn't seem pleased to see them. Merlin changed back to his form as he approached the lead knight hassling Baldric.

"What seems to be the problem here," Merlin demanded. "We are on a very strict schedule and cannot be delayed."

"And who are you to tell my knights what to do boy?" the knight demanded shoving Merlin. With a flash of his eyes Merlin sent the knight and his twenty odd followers flying off of their mounts and onto the ground writhing in pain.

"I am the Court Magician of Camelot, here by order of Queen Pendragon herself, now unless you want me to light you, your men and this entire country on fire you're going to forget you ever saw us understand?" The man didn't say anything but simply nodded painfully as Merlin walked past him and mounted the man's horse.

"Thank you for understanding gentlemen, we shant remain here any longer." Merlin said. The group knew that Marion would be after them now and that they needed a safe place to hide.

"We have to make it to the tunnels, she'll never be able to find us there!" Baldric insisted. Lacking a better plan the group rode hard in hopes of reaching the cave before Marion was able to locate them again. For the next two days the group played a violent game of cat and mouse, Marion was on their tale for nearly the entire trip and only due to Merlin and the others was they able to distract her long enough to get the others past safely. They cut it to close though, in a fit of rage Marion had set aflame half of the forest on fire to smoke them out. Merlin and Selma did their best to keep the fires controlled while Boris and Baric summoned cover from the Earth. It was almost too much for them to handle until Baldric shouted excitedly,

"Quick! The tunnels entrance is over there!" Merlin turned to see a small crack in the earth, skeptical if the people could even _fit _down the narrow crevice Merlin decided that wasn't the problem now. With a flash of his eyes Merlin summoned a nasty sandstorm to surround the area and to try to put some of the fires out. He heard Marion's angry screams of protests as she tried to utter a counter spell.

"Everyone get in the tunnel I'll hold her off!" Merlin yelled. As the group began to make their way towards the crevice Merlin turned back to face Marion who was having little luck clearing the sand.

"_O drakon, e male so ftengometta tesd'hup'anankes!"_ Merlin shouted loud enough for Marion to hear. She turned her attention towards the voice and smiled evilly as she saw Merlin's form through the sand.

"_Emrys,"_ She hissed evilly as she sent a lob of dark fire his way. Merlin just raised up his arm and yelled,

"_Schieldan," _preventing the fire from harming him.

"_Surrender Emrys, and I will let your companions live,"_ Marion's double voices said in unison/

"Yeah sure, I believe that." Merlin said in mock fear. As Marion rose her hands to launch another blast at Merlin a roar emanated from above her which caused her to change her gaze. She let out a scream of anguish as Aithusa flew down from the sky and engulfed the demoness in a roar of Dragon fire. It seemed as if the attack had been fatal until Marion forced the fire away with a powerful spell. Aithusa reengaged Marion in combat as Merlin turned back to head for the tunnel. He looked back to see Aithusa had the upper hand in the fight and sent her a silent prayer in the dragon tongue that she'd be ok. As he jumped into the crevice Baric and Boris quickly sealed the opening of the cave with earth hiding the entrance to the tunnel and their only way out. Everyone was panting heavily but a number of the regular men began asking questions about what Merlin had done. Merlin was grateful when Baldric interrupted enthusiastically.

"It doesn't matter what he did! We've reached the tunnel now we must find the lost city! Come now, before that mad woman collapses the tunnels from above." Baldric demanded as he pulled out his family's map of the tunnels. Deciding upon this as a good idea the group follows Baldric down the tunnel. The tunnel was approximately 10 feet tall and wide giving the wagons and horses just enough room to go down the tunnel. The horses were whinnying in protest at being underground but no one paid them any heed. They continued down through the tunnel for what seemed like an endless amount of time when Baldric stops suddenly and gestures for the group to stop as well.

"We will make camp here for a few hours, we will need to start tunneling after our break,"

"Exactly how far will we be tunneling?" Boris asked as he tried to ease one of the horses.

"Hard to say," Baldric admitted. "Once we've gone so far though there are markers that will lead us onto the right direction." As Baldrick spoke his hands began to shake as he looked at the wall they would soon be tunneling through.

"We're almost there, _I can feel it,_" Merlin looked at Boris and Selma who in return gave them worried glances. Merlin understood their worry, ever since the trip had started Baldric had become almost paranoid with finding the city. He understood that the Dwarf lord had a lot riding on this expedition but there was something… off about him. Merlin however decided not to draw on it however, as long as they were in the tunnels Baldric was the only way they'd make it out alive. So for the time being they would follow his lead.

Baldric was in his tent hovering over the map as he tried to discover the fastest route to the lost city of Armok, for over 50 years he had searched for it and now it was all so close that he could all ready see it. He was so preoccupied by his fantasies that he didn't notice Baric walk in to the tent. Once Baldric turned and saw him he addressed him in Dwarvish.

"**What troubles you my son?"** he asked.

"**You,"** Baric said simply. **"Your hunger to find the City of Armok and learn its secrets has cost you everything, and for what? You even lie to topsider Nobles to gain aid."**

"**I told them what they needed to know!" **Baldric said angrily.

"**You lied to them!"** Baric spat.

"**No, I didn't lie. I am a Dwarven Noble looking to help his people."**

"**You're an exiled traitor looking to conquer the Dwarven race!"** Baric hissed. **"The Dwarven people are too few in number to wage war amongst themselves. The secrets in Armok are what caused our once perfect civilization into ruin; and you would threaten the world with that again for a sense of false honor."**

"**You watch your tongue boy!" **Baric spat venomously.

"**NO! For too long I have followed you out of true Dwarven honor to my house. You may have saved my life all those years ago, and I may have agreed to let you call me your son, but I will not allow you to lead these humans to their deaths just so you can rise to power."**

Baldric stared at Baric with a hot hate staring into the younger Dwarf's eyes, which he returned thrice as hot.

"**And how will you do that dare I ask? You can't even speak the language of the humans."** Baldric said pointedly. Baric shook his head in shame as he looked at what was once a good man.

"**I should have ended your mad quest years ago, I blame myself for how long this tirade has gone on but I will not allow you to sacrifice any more lives to this damned quest!"** Baldric had heard enough; thrusting his hands a stone hand rose from the ground and reached towards Baric. With a swift kick Baric shattered the stone hand causing an earthquake to emit through the tunnel.

"**You fool you will kill us all!" **Baric shouted awaking the others who had been asleep.

"I will not allow you to harm anyone here Baric, no matter how much you hate the humans!" Baldric shouted in English. Merlin and a number of the men appeared at the tent just as Baldric erupted another set of stone hands from the ground to reach for Baric. The tunnel continued to shake as the hands moved, trying to catch Baric in their midst. Soon the tunnel began to collapse around them as Baldric looked around worriedly at what he caused.

"What have you done Baric?" Baldric demanded trying to throw the blame onto the mute dwarf. Merlin knowing something was wrong knew that this wasn't the time.

"We have to get out of here before this tunnel collapses!" he shouted as the ceiling began to cave in. Boris and Selma were doing their best to steady the cavern but weren't as successful as anyone may have hoped. Merlin got to their position and began reciting a spell to aid them.

"_Ic ábíetee þæt stánhol!" _As Merlin finished the spell the quaking was significantly reduced as the tunnel began stabilizing. Baric seeing what Merlin was doing ran beside him and raised his hands in helping stabilize the tunnel. Baric said something in a rushed rough sounding language that Merlin could not understand. A spell from Kilgharrah's knowledge blossomed in his mind to understand all languages for a short time. After reciting the spell Merlin turned to Baric and said,

"Could you say that again please?" Baric looked shocked at Merlin as if he had done something unthinkable but shook his head as he said.

"Baldric has lied to you and your Queen, he doesn't seek to help the Dwarfs or your Queen he wants only power."

"What do you mean?" Merlin asked. Before Baric could reply the two's heads snapped as they heard Baldric yell out a dwarven spell. Baric cursed after hearing the spell and began chanting one of his own before he and Merlin were hit by an unseen force that slammed them into the wall, but instead of stopping at the wall they were forced _through _it, unfortunately they still felt the pain of hitting the stone wall and Merlin found himself instantly passing out, fading into the darkness as his last thoughts were that of breaking his promise to Morgana.

AN: Thanks for reading! Next one will be longer and more action packed, please review and keep reading!


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17 A Blossomed Friendship

Morgana had awoken later in the day than she did usually. Normally Merlin would wake her up or she'd awake to the smell of breakfast. With a sigh she rose from the bed and changed out of her night dress into a robe as she prepared a bath. As the tub was filled and she heated it with magic she heard a knock come from the door. Morgana froze for a minute as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. She sighed when she saw that she was disguised as her blond alter ego Jane. She went to the door and opened it slightly to reveal the young boy, Toby, who Gwen would send when she needed Merlin. When Toby saw Morgana in the robe he looked down immediately and blushed intensively. Morgana couldn't help but smile slightly at the corner of her mouth at the young boy's discomfort.

"How can I help you Toby?" she asked kindly. The young boy looked up hesitantly, trying to keep his eyes from lingering as he said,

"The Queen wanted to see you miss, when you were ready." Morgana smiled, thanked the boy, and sent him on his way as she shut the door. Once the door was shut she leaned against it with a small frown. Since she had returned to Camelot Morgana had had little one on one contact with anyone who may have immediately recognized her from her past life, especially Gwen or the only remaining senior Knights of the Round Table Leon and Percival. Merlin had done his best to keep time with her and the others as short as possible but for some reason she had tendrils of doubt corrupting her mind.

_Gwen can't suspect anything can she? Have I given anything away as to who I am?_ Shaking the fear away from her train of thoughts Morgana dropped the robe to the floor as she walked into the small tub and let the heated water course over her skin. She did not linger long though, quickly washing herself and drying off as she picked out a simple, yet elegant, indigo colored dress that she had bought months ago with Merlin's sack of coins. As she walked towards the castle she greeted some of the older women she would talk to in the morning but today she settled with a smile and a head nod as she made her way for the castle. As she walked through the main gates and made her way towards the main hall she was intercepted by one of the guards. Her body instantly tensed expecting the guard to try to apprehend her but relaxed _slightly_ when he gave a curt bow once he had approached her.

"Ms. Jane, Queen Guinevere has requested your presence in her chambers," the guard said. As Morgana thanked him the guard bowed again and left to return to his post. Morgana then walked up the stairs to where the main rooms were in and, after asking the maids of its location, made her way towards Gwen's bedroom. As she neared she heard laughing coming from Gwen's room which she recognized as Gwen's. As she knocked on the door she was met with an almost instant, "Come in," before she entered the room. Inside she found Gwen and Gaius sitting at the table with goblets in their hands laughing and smiling about something someone had mentioned. At seeing Morgana/Jane in the room Gwen smiled and ushered for her to sit.

"Jane there you are! Please, sit and join us." Morgana bowed and took a seat besides Gwen and across from Gaius.

"Have you gotten word from Merlin? It's been a few weeks," Gwen asked as she took another sip from her goblet.

"No Merlin hasn't sent word to me at all, but in all honesty I would have expected him to contact Gaius if there was something he needed to say." Morgana admitted.

"Merlin hasn't sent word to me either; it's been almost two weeks I'm beginning to worry something's wrong."

"I'm sure Merlin's fine," Morgana defended. "He is supposed to be traveling in underground tunnels, it would be difficult for him to send word from miles underground."

"I suppose that's true," Gaius said taking a drink out of his goblet.

"You see Gaius? There was nothing to worry about. He's just miles underground looking for a lost Dwarf city, what could go wrong?" Morgana and Gaius exchanged worried glances as Morgana reached for the pitcher in the center of the table and poured herself a goblet. After a few momenta (and several cups later) the three were talking freely and with almost no care in the world.

"So Jane tell me about yourself, you've been in Camelot several months now and I feel I barely know you. Every time I ask about you Merlin always deflects the question," Gwen said mistily.

"Does he now?" Morgana asked with exaggerated amusement. "Well let me think: I was born in a small town on the border of Essetir and Noronna, my mother was a healer before it was outlawed in the five kingdoms, she and my father were killed due to warring cities attacking each other during the Great Purge. I used my magic to follow my mother's art in healing and learned a few things in my years in hiding. I was fortunate that no one ever turned me in to the authorities but that's my story," Morgana smiled at the look of shame crossing Gwen's face. She and Merlin had prepped that story in the event she ever had to explain herself to Gwen about her past. Gaius obviously wasn't fooled by Morgana's false sob story but knew better than to question it.

"So if you don't mind me asking, what exactly is going on between you and Merlin?" Gwen asked, a slight slur becoming almost audible in her voice. Morgana gave a mischievous smile as she asked,

"That's sort of private isn't it? Are you asking me as a friend or as the Queen?" Morgana asked.

"It depends on whether I like the answer or not," Gwen teased earning laughs from both of the girls wildly as they drank from their goblets. Gaius rolled his eyes at the two young drunk women and set his goblet away knowing one of them would need to have a clear mind.

"So come on out with it," Gwen insisted as she spilt some of her wine onto the floor. Morgana looked at her wine intently as if something amazing had appeared in it.

"We are… fond of each other," Morgana replied honestly. "It's too soon for me to say anything else." Gwen was about to say something else when she spilled more of her wine onto the ground and began pouting about it. Finally Gaius arose and helped Gwen out of her seat.

"Milady I believe you've had a bit too much to drink, I think it's time you lied down,"

"But I'm the Queen! I'm supposed to do… Queen things today," Gwen protested as she was laid into the bed.

"And you will proceed your Queenly duties once you've sobered up, now sleep tight my Queen." Gwen rumbled a bit more but as soon as her head had hit the pillow she began to sleep heavily. Gaius sighed as he turned to take his seat back across from Morgana.

"She's been drinking more frequently since Arthur died, she says that it isn't an issue but I am beginning to worry."

"Is that some way to guilt me for what I did?" Morgana demanded in her stupor, she regretted it immediately afterwards seeing the look on Gaius's face.

"No my child I'm not trying to guilt you, I just want you to realize how grateful you should be for this chance to start anew, very few in your position could be so lucky." Morgana stared into her drink attentively again before answering.

"I know, and I am Gaius. I just hope that I haven't made things difficult for Merlin in my being here. I'll admit my reasons for originally returning to Camelot were selfish. But now,… I really do care for Merlin Gaius honest. I'm just worried I'll fail him." Gaius gave a small smile as he got up and walked towards Morgana to help her out of her seat.

"Don't worry about failing Merlin Morgana, that's nearly impossible. Worry about failing yourself. Now come on, let's get you home before you accidently burn down the castle." Morgana gave a tipsy smile as Gaius led Morgana back to Merlin's home in the city. Once they made it there and Morgana had sat down in a set Gaius turned to leave but stopped suddenly. He turned around and saw Morgana putting her now heavy head onto the table tired from the gossiping with the queen.

"Morgana?" he said softly not wanting to deepen a headache she may have acquired.

"Yes Gaius?" Morgana asked quietly.

"Please don't do anything to harm Merlin, he's like a son to me and I'd hate to see anything happen to him." Morgana picked her head up and gave Gaius a small affectionate smile.

"Hurting Merlin is the last thing I want to do," Morgana assured him. With a nod of his head Gaius left Morgana alone with her thoughts as she placed her head on the table gently. Before she fell asleep where she was the last thing she thought was of Merlin safely returning home.

AN: Hey everybody thanks for reading! I posted a poll on my profile page listing the next set of fanfictions I'd like to write and as my loyal readers I would like you to tell me which story you would want to read next, after Darkness in Albion is finished of course (Which shouldn't be for a while). I will eventually do both stories but I want to know what you guys would want to read first. So please leave reviews and take the time to vote on my next fanfiction. Thanks for your time!


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18 The Plight of the Golems

Merlin's vision finally seemed to recover after what seemed like a lifetime, his body was sore everywhere and his leg kept howling in pain for some reason. Merlin tried looking around but unfortunately the darkness of the tunnel made it nearly impossible for him to see more than a few feet in front of him. He was about to summon a light when he saw one from the corner of his eye, turning he noticed that it was Baric, a small flame hovering in his hand. Merlin uttered the spell again for all language to be understood as he propped himself on his elbows to look at the dwarf.

"Are you alright?" Baric asked worriedly. Merlin groaned as he adjusted himself into a sitting position.

"Aside from everything hurting, yeah I'm just fine." Merlin finally managed to look at his body and was shocked to see his right leg encased with stone surrounding the entirety of the leg below the knee.

"I apologize, you were badly wounded after Baldric's spell. I am not capable of any healing spells and it was the best that I could do."

"Wait Baldric, what did happen?" Baric explained what happened between him and the senior Dwarf that eventually caused the cave to collapse upon itself along with him forcing them through a wall.

"How didn't we die?" Merlin asked struggling to get up from his position. Baric helped him up and allowed him to lean against his shoulder.

"I cast a spell to let us move through the stone to another location unharmed but was unable to finish, we're where I wanted to go but unfortunately you probably feel like shit right now." Baric explained.

"So where exactly are we then?" Merlin asked. Suddenly he heard loud tremors coming from the tunnel he saw Baric walking from. A large silhouette of what was shaped like a very large man was approaching them.

"I think it would be easier to let him explain," Baric said as the figure approached. As it grew closer Baric sent the fire flying at the walls of the tunnel where they lingered and greatly illuminated the room. To Merlin's great surprise was a large figure, at least 7 feet tall and 4 feet wide, approach the two with thundering footsteps that echoed the tunnel as it stepped. The thing that surprised Merlin the most however was that it couldn't be a man or a Dwarf for that reason: it was made of stone.

_Golem_ Merlin thought.

"This is not Baldric," The Golem said in a deep, and obvious, displeased voice.

"I'm sorry there was a complication," Baric tried to explain.

"Who is he?" the Golem demanded. Not wanting Baric to have to defend him Merlin spoke up.

"I'm Merlin," He said raspy.

"Merlin?" The Golem asked, as if he had heard the name before. After a short moment The Golem finally shook his head and said, "Bring him, Mornack will decide what to do with him." So with the help of Baric the duo followed the stone Golem through the underground tunnels in silence. Finally Merlin just had to ask the questions that were building at his mind.

"Baric what's going on here?" Baric looked away uneasily before answering.

"I am not allowed to answer that. Mornack will explain everything."

"Who's Mornack?" Merlin asked.

"The leader of the Golem race."

"Race? I thought they were tools that the Dwarfs had built," Merlin inquired.

"If you say that within ear shot of another Golem don't be surprised if they try to squish your head," the Golem in their lead called from over his shoulder.

"Golems have ears?" Merlin asked incredulously. With a sigh the Golem shook his head as he continued walking.

"It's a figure of speech, I swear you humans have to take everything so literally." The Golem complained. Merlin shot Baric a look of disbelief at what he was saying as Baric shot him an apologetic look.

"I thought Golems were a forgotten art or something!" Merlin complained.

"Only the ancient styles of crafting Golems are forgotten, Dwarfs have been crafting a lower tier of Golem for centuries though."

"And we all know well _they_ fair in combat, pitiful." Their guide complained.

"Are all Golems this out spoken?" Merlin complained under his breath.

"Trust me Mornack will explain everything alright? I promise." Merlin let out a sigh as they continued to follow the smart mouth golem to where ever it is he was leading them. Merlin was growing slightly frustrated from the seemingly endless path when suddenly he felt something hit him that spread through his entire body, not a physical blow but a magical one. It did no harm to Merlin but when it hit Merlin felt the largest source of magic the young warlock had ever experienced in his life, more so than his combined power with Kilgharrah if that was even possible. Baric saw Merlin's expression and nodded.

"You felt it to huh?" he asked knowingly.

"I've never- what is the source of that power?" Merlin asked incredulously. Baric didn't answer until they turned around the corner in the tunnel. Once they turned Merlin stopped and stared in bewilderment at what he was seeing. He didn't move, he didn't say anything he just stared in amazement at the site until Baric finally said,

"The lost Dwarven city of Azbek, and home to the Golem Race." Merlin looked back down to the city and was excited by what he saw. Everywhere he turned: was a Golem. The entire city was populated by Golems! Merlin didn't know how to react, the way everyone acted it seemed to be no different than Camelot, aside from its inhabitants of course. They walked through the town now, many of the 7-9 foot Golems looked down at Merlin in shock and surprise, apparently they had never seen a human before Merlin thought. As Merlin continued to examine the city he noticed that the buildings were all carved out of the walls of the tunnel, resulting in the city to appear domed shaped. There were doorways and windows in the stone walls and Merlin could only guess how deep they went into the walls. Finally the three came across a large dome shaped building in the middle of the city, the only building not put in the walls of the city coincidently.

"This is the home of Mornack, the leader of the Golems. He will explain everything to you." Baric said hopeful. As the trio entered the building the sight surprised Merlin, there was a large Golem sitting in a stone chair in front of a desk, like a few of the other Golems he had seen so far he was made of steel instead of the stone that most of the other Golems in the city had been made of; but what surprised Merlin was that he was apparently _writing_ something in a small book with a quill! Merlin never assumed that Golem's were smart being made of stone and all, but intelligent? It was the Golem that had led them there that spoke first.

"Sir Mornack I have someone here you may want to see." The Steel Golem, Mornack, put down his quill and turned to face the three. His head was crafted like a soldier's helmet, and his mouth (if he had one) was not visible. When he spoke it was deeper than the other Golem's but it also had a sense of kindness and softness to it.

"Thank you Aedan, I shall take it from here." Aedan nodded and turned out of the building to give the three their privacy.

"Baric, I assume that since you are here something happened in our plans to kill Baldric." The Steel Golem said simply. Baric looked away ashamed.

"I am sorry my lord I have failed." He said not looking at the Golem.

"Be at ease young Dwarf I would not have expected Baldric to ask for aid from humans, even if it is from powerful Warlocks." Mornack turned his attention to Merlin and looked down upon him.

"Emrys, I wish that our meeting could be under better circumstances, but it seems fate has made its own choices hasn't it?"

"You know who I am?" Merlin asked in shock.

"Yes, we have known about you for many years now, it was foretold that we would one day meet." Mornack explained. Merlin's mind was swimming with questions and Mornack chuckled at his obvious confusion.

"I am sure you have many questions. Come, sit and ask me any question you would like and I will answer them to the best of my ability." Mornack led the two back to his desk where he pulled out another two chairs for them to sit on. While the chair was very uncomfortable (being made of stone) but Merlin was grateful to be off of his injured leg and to be able to rest his screaming body parts.

"I think I should hear the story from the beginning, how is any of this possible?" Merlin asked.

"Ahhh now that is a long tail indeed," Mornack sighed, he then began the story.

"Eons ago, before humans had even arrived in Albion the Dwarfs were in a constant war with the other races defending their hordes of gems, gold, valuable crafts and precious metals. The Dwarfs fought hard and proudly against all the races that would attack them: Trolls, Sidhe, Goblins and their toughest of enemies the Dragons." Merlin's eyebrows shot up about hearing the part about Dragons but did not interrupt Mornack's story.

"It was a constant war between Dwarf and the other races, but slowly the Dwarfs faltered in their victories and were forced to fight defensively in the tunnels of their homes. With the enemies so close by the Dwarfs decided that they needed to find a new way to fight off their enemies. 3 months later as a group of Goblins were advancing onto the city of Gararr, Mornack of Azbek rose with the first Stone Golem."

"Wait, was that one of your ancestors?" Merlin asked.

"You will understand by the end of this tale Emrys, may I proceed?" Mornack asked kindly. Merlin nodded and apologized while Mornack continued his tale.

"With the aid of the first Golem he was able to fight off a large horde of Goblins that had beaten past the outer defenses. Now this first Golem wasn't sentient like the Golems here, it was a tool that the Dwarfs could control with their power to control Earth. The Golem would mimic the Dwarf's movements in combat. The Dwarf Kings were ecstatic with our creation and urged Mornack to build more, enough to supply every cities army with hundreds of them. So Mornack and his apprentices crafted Golems for months and months, upgrading and enhancing them to be resistant to the magic of the Trolls and Sidhe. Dragons were still a worthy foe but 5 to 10 Golems were normally enough to defeat all but the strongest Dragons. Soon are Golem army was feared by the creatures above the ground and the attacks occurred less and less."

"I'm guessing something went wrong though," Merlin said absent mindedly.

"I'm afraid to say it did," Mornack agreed sadly. "For centuries the Dwarven race was unopposed, and thanks to our Golem army we were able to expand our cities almost endlessly; until the Age of Darkness. By this time man had arrived in Albion, and the Dwarfs had been on good terms with one king in general at the time, a powerful sorcerer who had earned the respect of the Dwarven Kings and the only human ever permitted to enter our halls."

"Who was this King? I only know of one Sorcerer who was ever a King and he died a few years ago." Merlin asked pointedly.

"I believe we speak of the same King Emrys, while he had many names and titles I believe the one you would know him by was the Fisher King." Merlin was shocked to hear that the Fisher King had been alive that long, that he had been tortured by whatever wound that was inflicted upon him for centuries.

"Yes, I met the Fisher King a few years ago," Merlin said.

"Then I am glad he was finally able to leave this world in peace, what was inflicted upon him was a horrible fate." Mornack said solemnly

"What happened?" Merlin asked.

"At this time a dark form of creature began entering our world and possessed the creatures above our cities, I believe you call them demons. A tear in what you creatures of the Old Religion called the Veil released a creature of intense and destructive power that razed the world for over half a century. The demons possessed any form they could inhabit no longer needing it to be a willing host; it wasn't long until the Greed infested creatures returned to attack our cities. The Golems held them back for a time, but since they were inanimate objects capable of movement through magic the demons were able to possess them without a problem. The greatest creation of the Dwarfs used against us."

"The demon's possessed the Golems?" Merlin asked incredulously.

"Yes, without a soul to fight off the invading demon's presence the creatures were able to turn the tide against the Dwarfs in an instant." Mornack looked away in despair at recalling the old memory. "We lost over 40 cities to our own creations. All that remains our 14, 15 if you count Azbek."

"What did they do?" Merlin asked.

"Mornack went to the Fisher King for advice and counsel on a way to prevent the Golems from being possessed. The only way the Fisher King could think of preventing it was giving the Golem's a soul, so that's what we did."

"But that's impossible," Merlin said intrepidly. "You can't give life to something without taking it from something else!"

"We knew this Emrys, trust me we knew this. What happened next nearly destroyed the Dwarven race." Mornack waited to see if Merlin had any more questions and on seeing him sit quietly he continued his tale.

"The Fisher King showed Mornack how to enchant a gem in a specific way, changing it into a soul gem. It was within the Dwarfs power to enchant the gems since they were a part of the Earth. We used the Soul Gems to give the Golems souls and with it we had a fighting chance at defending our homes, but at the cost at nearly losing out humanity."

"What do you mean?" Merlin asked.

"As you said before, in order to give life magically it must be sacrificed. Whoever enchanted the Soul Gem would forfeit their own soul to be put into a Golem. They would retain everything that made them themselves, but at the cost of losing the right to be called a Dwarf."

"They sacrificed other Dwarfs?" Merlin asked appalled at the idea.

"No!" Mornack said defensively, "We took only volunteers willing to sacrifice themselves for the sake of Dwarf kind. In return they were given the finest crafted bodies that could be made; Golems made out of Steel and forged Opal, they were a force to be reckoned with. This modification, along with several others, helped tipped the scales in our favor, while we had still lost many Golems and Dwarfs we held our ground and were able to force attackers out once again. A small group of the sentient Golems went to the surface to aid the Fisher King aid in defeating the demons. In a sense of Irony it was a Dragon that played the deciding factor in the war. Using magic I cannot begin to understand the Fisher King along with five other sorcerers and sorceresses enchanted the Dragon to defeat the monster controlling the lesser demon thralls. Once it was destroyed the thralls left with it and the veil restored. Unfortunately the Fisher King took a fatal blow from the Demon as it fought the Dragon, it would have evidently killed the Dragon had he not taken the blow. I am proud to say he was a great man, as thanks for his services we gave him a dozen Golems, none equipped with Soul Gems, to do with as he saw fit."

"But what went wrong with the Dwarfs and Golems? Why did it become a forgotten art?" Merlin asked.

"When the Golems returned underground, one of the Kings became greedy: King Dias Dundar decided that now since the upper land was weakened from the attack that with the use of the new Golems that the Dwarves should expand above ground. Mornack and all but one of his apprentices refused to make Golems for such an endeavor, but unfortunately one betrayed them. He did not have the skill the others had and was only able to craft Stone Golems that had to be controlled. But it was enough for the King to use to attempt to force the others into submission: **THEY DID NOT SUCCEED**," Merlin was taken aback by Mornack's sudden forcefulness when suddenly something clicked in his mind.

"You're that Mornack from centuries ago aren't you?" Mornack nodded.

"Yes when I learned of my apprentice's betrayal I along with my remaining loyal apprentices took everything regarding crafting Golems and fled the city. We were followed for months until we finally caved in all the tunnels leading back here at Azbek. The people there were loyal to me and understood that if Dias managed to learn the secrets we'd be at a constant war with the surface."

"So what did you do? A city cut off couldn't last for long could it?" Merlin asked.

"No, Azbek was supplied for approximately a year, in that time we tried to convince the other Kings to send aid. While they did not side with Dias they were unable to oppose him directly for he had the largest army at the time. So slowly once the supplies ran out the Dwarfs of Azbek were no more."

"They died, I'm sorry" Merlin said sincerely. He was surprised however when he heard Mornack laugh sadly.

"No Emrys that is not what I meant, true that many Dwarfs died from hunger we gave the choice to those who would rather live eternally as a Golem. Many were opposed to the idea, preferring to die as a Dwarf as is their right, but many were willing so long as the pangs of hunger subsided from their aching stomachs. With what few materials we had we managed to make enough Golems for all wanting to make the change. My apprentices and I made our own Golems out of steel, so it would be known who did this to them. The others were made with stone with different designs to show the different houses. Azbek once housed over 30,000 Dwarfs, now only 2,000 Golems remain."

"That few wanted to make the change?" Merlin asked surprised.

"Yes unfortunately, although they were not the only ones."

"What do you mean?" Merlin asked.

"When I learned that the Fisher King was unable to die I forged a Golem for him to inhabit, a one of a kind Golem with magical properties so he would be more comfortable. I had done it in a hope to cease his suffering. However once I made the trek to him and offered my gift to him he simply smiled and said,

'_It is not yet my time my friend, I have one last gift to give to the future.'_ I knew not what he meant but respected his wish."

"So what became of the Golem?" Merlin asked curiously.

"The Golem remains in my possession, it is the only unoccupied Golem left in the city due to no one left to accompany it."

"Couldn't you switch your Soul Gem into that Golem?" Merlin asked.

"No, once a Soul Gem is added to a Golem it becomes a part of it, it would be like taking out a heart and putting it in another dead body," Mornack explained. Merlin then turned to Baric who had remained quiet the entire time.

"Why don't you take the Golem then Baric?" he asked.

"It was not meant for me, and I am needed in my Dwarf form to make repairs on the others should the need arise." Baric said.

"Yes, Baric had been a valued friend to the Golems. Many of us would have perished without his aid." Merlin nodded in understanding but one thought was still troubling him.

"So if Baldric is this Dias's heir, doesn't that make him royalty?"

"A former noble who spent his house and fortune on greed," Baric spat venomously. "He would use the Golem to destroy everything the Dwarves stand for. That's why I accompanied him, to insure that he'd never find Azbek."

"But doesn't he have that map?" Merlin asked.

"That map was made by my design," Mornack said. "The only way to enter Azbek is through the one path back to the surface that we have or for the spell to be uttered while going through stone. He will **NEVER** find Azbek in his life time." Merlin admired Mornack's determination and confidence, he truly hoped that Baldric wouldn't ever find Azbek, but then suddenly a terrifying thought crossed his mind.

"The people back at Camelot need to know about this, I have to make it back to the surface and warn them." Merlin shot up instantly in an attempt to break for the surface but was stopped by the pain screaming from his leg which forced him back into his stone chair.

"You are still too injured to travel back to Camelot, and unfortunately you are farther from it now then you were before." Mornack informed him.

"How much farther away?" Merlin asked moaning in pain.

"Approximately 300 leagues away from where you found the tunnel underground," Mornack informed. Merlin groaned in both pain and in anger at hearing the news. He didn't blame Mornack or Baric it was just going to be hard to explain if Gwen became all buddy buddy with Baldric before he returned. He could call Aithusa but she was still too young to fly the both of them that far a distance.

"Could you at least let me up to the surface for a few seconds so I can alert my Queen of Baldric's betrayal, I'll come right back down." Mornack nodded instantly and handed Merlin his quill and a piece of paper. As soon as the message was written Merlin summoned a bird to send a message to Gaius to give to Gwen, hopefully the message would reach Camelot before Baldric did.

"So what happens now?" Merlin asks rubbing at the stone keeping his leg together.

"Now we wait until your wounds are healed so you can make it back to your king- "

"_EMRYSSSS!"_ A voice screeched from above the tunnel they had just closed off, Merlin moaned in fear at recognizing the voice.

"It's Marion, we have to run!"

"There is no need, every Golem here is immune to Magic by demons and sorcerers alike, and even if she were to cave in the city she would be unable to destroy us." A scary thought coursed through Merlin's mind recalling something that Mornack said.

"Marion is able to pull demons from across the veil, what if one gets to that Golem you made for the Fisher King?" Merlin asked frantically. Mornack's eyes glowed infinitely brighter at the thought of that and turned to Baric.

"**Alert the others to provide defensive positions I will protect the shell,"** Without saying a word Baric nodded and rushed shouting to the Golems in the city. Mornack then picked up Merlin and began running back to the building in the middle of the square.

"What are we going to do?" Merlin asked Mornack as he carried him through the house.

"**We need to prevent that demon's thralls from getting to the shell, otherwise none of us will be able to defeat it."**

"Is the Golem that powerful?" Merlin asked fearfully.

"**I originally made the plans for it to take down a Dragon single handedly,"** Mornack said angrily.

Nuff said.

As they enter the house Mornack goes to the floor and with a raised fist punches straight down revealing a set of stairs. Before they went down the stairs a demon of rage similar to the one that had poisoned Morgana burst through the door and leapt at Merlin with a shriek. Before Merlin even had a chance to utter a spell Mornack appeared behind him and the 9 foot Steel Golem punched through the demon, leaving its remains screaming and writhing before finally evaporating into black smoke.

"Thanks," Merlin said as Mornack picked Merlin up again.

"Come we must hurry," he said his voice calmed down significantly. As they head down the stairs Merlin begins chanting spells that will activate if the demons tried to follow them and hopefully buying them more time. When they reach the bottom of the seemingly endless staircase they hear screaming from the top signaling that Merlin's traps were doing their job.

"We don't have much time," Mornack said as he ran into a room ahead of them. As they entered Mornack put Merlin down gently and barricaded the door way behind them with large boulders that were lying around the area. When Merlin finally turned around from watching Mornack barricade the door he saw the Golem Shell meant for the Fisher King to inhabit. Although Merlin knew nothing about Golem designs he had to say that this one was breathtaking.

It stood at 10 feet tall and 6 feet wide, its arms and legs was as wide as large tree trunks and upon the arms were jewels of different colors: red, purple, and a whitish blue color. They were arranged according to color on each arm as black diamonds jutted on the Golem's shoulders and back like the cape the Fisher King had worn. The actual material of the Golem though Merlin couldn't guess, only that it was much smoother than stone and much stronger than steel.

"What's it made out of?" Merlin asked as Mornack finally moved to stand beside him.

"Onyx, the hardest substance known to Dwarf and harder than anything anyone can get above ground. Took my entire supply to make it, my greatest creation."

"So how do we prevent the demons from getting into it?" Merlin asked. Mornack went to a chest nearby a shelf and pulled out a pure white gem and threw it to Merlin. When Merlin caught it he noticed a small white ghost shaped substance in the gem.

"This is a Soul Gem isn't it?" Merlin asked.

"Yes, it is the first Gem the Fisher King enchanted when he showed me the process, while it does not have his entire soul there may be a small remnant of it, hopefully enough to fight off any demons who may try to possess it."

"So that would make this Golem the Fisher King?" Merlin asked.

"No, from what the King told me this Gem _would _give a Golem a soul but it doesn't have any of the Fisher Kings life in it. I know not whose it is only that it's our only hope of preventing anything from possessing it." It was then that they started hearing the shrieks of the rage demons claw at the barricade of the door followed by the distant laugh of Marion. They were running out of time.

"What do we do?" Merlin asked panicked.

"You must utter a spell to transfer the spell! I cannot do it as a Golem; it is up to you Emrys! I will hold these demons at bay." Merlin turned back to the Golem shell and looked up at it with the soul Gem in his hand. He immediately focused trying to find a spell that would transfer the soul from the Gem into the Golem, he could hear the demons approaching and breaking through the barricade, Mornack was doing his best to end their lives before they got through but they were quickly becoming too much for him to handle. Finally Merlin shouted the spell just as a burst of dark fire flew through the door way and hit the Golem.

"_Dormiatis dum castellum super nubes ascendat!"_ The room erupted in a blast of white light as the Soul Gem instantly began glowing blinding Merlin as it sent him flying back towards Mornack. Marion entered the room in her human form and fired another blast of dark fire at the Golem, resulting in a magical explosion erupting in the room knocking Merlin unconscious. When he finally arose he found himself restrained to the wall by a group of familiar looking snakes he knew all too well.

_Nathair_, he thought to himself. He looked around, he couldn't see Mornack anywhere but the other Golem was still there and Merlin could feel a magical struggle going on within it. As Merlin watched he felt a cold hand grab under his chin as he was forced to look into Marion's eyes.

"_Emrys, I'm so happy you could join the party,_" Her double toned voice said seductively. Merlin was careful not to move too much because he knew one bite from one of the Nathair and he'd be writhing in pain.

"What are you doing here Marion? How did you even find this place?" Merlin demanded through gritted teeth. The stone cast Baric had put on Merlin's leg had disappeared somehow and one of the Nathair were wrapped around it teasingly.

"_Why when I learned from that fool Baldric before I killed him that you were looking for Golems I thought that they'd make good servants for me, too bad this is the only one open for vacancy but I think It'll do."_ She said. Merlin looked back to the Golem and could feel the darkness from Marion and the soul from the Gem battling each other for control over the body, and to Merlin's fear it seemed like the darkness was winning.

"_Makes you wish that you had joined me when I made you that offer months ago ehh Merlin?"_

"I would never join you," Merlin forced out. Marion laughed crazily as she began feeling Merlin's chest with her free hand.

"_I have to admit it though Merlin, you've gotten into shape since we last met. Has Morgana been working you ragged in the bed room?"_ Marion taunted.

"Shut up!" Merlin shouted at her. He felt the Nathair around his leg bite down sending pain and poison through his body that was too much for him to bear.

"_Tsk tsk Merlin, let's keep things civil now. Wouldn't want you to get hurt now would we?"_ Merlin only moaned against the pain, which in turn seemed to amuse Marion greatly. She went close to him, her chest pressed up to his suggestively as she brought her mouth to Merlin's ear.

"_Tell me where you hid Morgana and I'll let you live,"_ she said seductively before biting into Merlin's neck. He ignored her sensual biting as a pleasant thought crossed through his mind.

_She doesn't know where she is,_ he thought. It brought a smile to his face which Marion misinterpreted as him agreeing with her.

"_So do we have a deal?"_ she asked her lips only centimeters away from his. Merlin looked Marion in the eyes as he gave her his answer.

"_Bærn_-AGGGGHH" Merlin's spell was interrupted by the Nathair around his neck biting him in the chest just above his heart.

"_That was a mistake Merlin. Now I have to kill you to make my point._" Merlin didn't know where it came from but he laughed at Marion the same way Kilgharrah did back before Merlin knew he was a Dragon Lord and the Dragon tormented him for fun.

"_What is so funny?"_ Marion demanded. Through the pain Merlin was able to keep laughing and look levelly at the demon the same way Kilgharrah did: pitying.

"With all your power you are still unable to see what is right in front of you, oh I dread to think what the other demons across the veil think of you." Apparently this was the wrong thing to say for Marion had each of the Nathair restricting him bite into his skin while she stabbed Merlin in the chest with a knife. Merlin roared in pain as she twisted the knife in his chest.

"_I __**will**__ teach you respect Emrys, one way or another,"_ As she finished talking the Golem behind her began to stir. Merlin looked at the Golem to see that the majority of the energy from within it was darkness with barely any of the light left within it. Finally as it began to move its eye sockets glowed red from the darkness within it, a cold look on its horned forged face, and walked large tremorus steps towards Marion.

"_Ahhh my pet, you have awoken,"_ Marion fawned as she stroked the chest and back of the Golem that towered behind her. As she finished her once over of the Golem she froze in her place as an idea crossed her mind, followed by a cold cruel smile that would have made Merlin shiver if he wasn't already cold from the lack of blood.

"_Are you familiar with how powerful a Golem is Merlin? There able to rip anyone in half like a piece of paper. Tell me where Morgana is or you will be his first target!" _Marion threatened. Merlin looked at the Golem that was Mornack's greatest piece of work, it saddened Merlin despite his situation that it was being used for Marion's evil. Taking a deep breath from his nose (a breath Merlin thought his last) he gave Marion his answer.

"No,"

Marion was infuriated as her hands caught fire as she looked at Merlin. She turned to the Golem and said angrily, "_Kill him, but make him suffer."_ Responding to Marion's command the Golem approached Merlin until it was within arm's reach (its arm's reach) of Merlin. Merlin looked up at the towering Golem and couldn't help but kick himself for getting himself into bad situations. Blood kept flowing from the knife wound coursing through Merlin's chest and he guessed that at least he wouldn't feel most of the pain inflicted upon him. As Merlin looked back up at the Golem he felt a certain change from within it. The Golem didn't move, but its eyes also no longer glowed red. Merlin didn't understand what happened until he felt the soul from the Soul Gem banish the darkness out of the Golem. Merlin didn't understand what had happened but when the eyes began to glow again they weren't the red from before: but a light azure color, and along with that the lips on the Golem turned up in a goofy looking smile! Merlin was dumbstruck at what happened and assumed that it was simply due to a loss of blood and closed his eyes waiting for his end.

It never came.

"_Don't just stand there you stupid statue! Kill him!"_ Merlin opened his eyes to see the Golem was still looking at him but now with a different look crossing its Onyx face, one that Merlin guessed was concern. Merlin began coughing in pain now as blood now started dripping from his mouth, he knew he was about to pass out anyway so on a leap of faith and crazy intuition said two words before passing out.

"Help… me…" The instant the last word left Merlin's mouth the Golem reacted. With such speed that would surprise anyone he grabbed Marion by the neck causing the woman to claw at the Golem's hands in shock and anger.

"_What *gag* are you doing?!" _she gagged under the Golem's grip. The Golem didn't reply but its expression had changed to one of anger. Its light Azure eyes hardened as cold as ice as it stared at Marion, and even the Pride demon within Marion felt fear for the first time in centuries. The Golem slammed Marion into a wall knocking her head against the stone wall. He then chambered his arm behind him preparing to punch through Marion's head when she turned into a black fog and escaped the Golem's grasp. When it turned around to look at Marion she had changed into her demon form.

The black fire hovering between her horns and around her hands signified the anger the demon was feeling. Marion fired a concentrated blast of dark fire at the Golem causing it to stagger backwards a few steps, but once the initial shock from the impact had subsided the Golem stood up and walked towards Marion ignoring the fire being fired at it. Not understanding how the Golem wasn't destroyed by this point she released all the energy she could muster managing to stop the Golem in its tracks. Taking this as a sign that she had won Marion slowly began to float towards the Golem careful to stay out of arms reach.

It was then that the purple gem on each of its arms began to glow brightly. As they glowed the diamonds on its back and shoulders glowed the same color as on its arms. Suddenly an electric charge began to travel through the gems on the Golem's back. Marion stopped firing her jet of dark fire at the Golem as she stared in awe at what was happening. Taking the chance the Golem raised its right arm and as the currents on its back ended a large concentrated electrical blast was fired from its hand. Marion fired another blast of dark fire at the oncoming attack but it was torn through without a hint of slowing down. Not having time to avoid the attack the electrical blast hit Marion head on resulting in her demonic screams of pain. The demon screeched in pain that would have deafened anyone who heard it had they not been made out of an inanimate object.

In a last ditch attempt to escape Marion lights herself afire as she is being hit by the electrical current. As she shrieks in pain she is able to born her physical body and allows her form to change back into smoke and escapes immediately out of fear and pain. The Nathair who had been holding Merlin up against the wall evaporated into smoke as they dissolved due to the absence of their master. As Merlin fell the Onyx Golem ran towards Merlin's position and knelt down to examine him. At that time Mornack, Baric and a number of other Golems followed in pursuit and were shocked at the sight presented to them. Mornack had managed to avoid capture by sneaking out of the room when the magical explosion took place. He had hoped Merlin would be able to handle himself while he got help but he never assumed that he'd be so badly injured. As he approached his creation he was confused when he saw the Golem's shoulders moving up in down in an awkward motion. When the Onyx Golem turned to face Mornack he was more surprised to see that the Golem looked truly distraught, when finally Mornack realized that the Golem had been _crying, _but Golems didn't cry! Finally his creation poked at Merlin's still body and looked back up at his creator and said in a deep, childlike voice:

"Please help friend,"

AN: Hey hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. Please remember to leave Reviews (which I live for) and to vote on my Poll on my main page. Thanks for reading and I appreciate all your reviews!


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19 A Battered Warlock

It had been 2 weeks since they had gotten word from Merlin claiming that Baldric was a power hungry mogul who wanted to use the Golems as a weapon for war against the other Dwarfs. It was a week after that before the survivors from the expedition returned to Camelot. Most of the men were dead and Selma and Boris were on the brink of passing out from exhaustion. The few words they were able to tell the Queen was that a woman with red hair attacked them and killed Baldric after messing with his mind. They had no clue what happened to Merlin or Baric but only that they seemed to pass through a wall in the tunnels. It had now been a month and a half since they heard word from Merlin and Morgana was panicked that something terrible had happened. She knew there had to be some kind of battle because Aithusa had flown off before they had received Merlin's letter. Hopefully the two of them were all safe and together, if anything had happened to them… Morgana shook the thought out of her head they _will_ come back she assured herself.

Another week had passed until a terrified visitor appeared before the Queen with a warning of some strange creature approaching Camelot.

"What is this creature, do you know?" Gwen asked the villager.

"No milady, all we know is that it's heading straight here for Camelot. We're worried it may be planning to attack the Citadel." The man said bluntly.

"Why would you assume it wants to attack Camelot? Has it attacked other villages that it passes through?" Gwen asked. The villager seemed a little hesitant.

"Well err, no not technically your majesty. But it's set for a straight path here and if anything is in its way it literally walks right through it. It has left large holes in the walls of shops and homes and doesn't seem to need to stop for any reason."

"Has it attacked anyone?" Gwen asked more seriously.

"No thankfully, but it has scared the life out of a number of people as it crashed through the walls of their homes." Gwen frowned and then asked for a description of the creature.

"Well its tall your majesty, as tall as two men and as wide as the length of a tall one. It has a grayish blue skin that seems hard and smooth to the touch with jewels in its arms and back." Gwen turned to Gaius, who had been silent throughout the duration of the man's description and asked,

"Have you any idea what this creature may be?"

"I'm afraid not milady," Gaius said bluntly causing Gwen to frown again. She thanked the man and gave him a small pouch of gold to help with the repairs in the city where the monster had walked through. As the man left she turned to Leon.

"I want you to set up a watch for this creature, we don't know if it's hostile or not but I don't want it to catch us by surprise."

"As you wish my Queen," Leon said with a bow. As he left Gwen turned to Jane with a look of concern.

"There hasn't been any word sent to you Jane?" she asked carefully. She shook her head sadly.

"Nothing my Queen." She said refusing to admit her fears. Gwen nodded and called out for another knight in the room.

"I want you to set out a search party for Merlin, it wouldn't be the first time he's gone missing but I'd bet that he's still alive. I want the entire kingdom searched.

"Yes my Queen," then knight said with a bow. A few days later there was a panic among the knights who had left to look for Merlin. When they returned they seemed to have grave news.

"What is in Sir Lynell?" Gwen asked worriedly.

"My Queen, the creature the villager warned about, we saw it! It's on its way to Camelot as we speak!" This got a murmur from the nobles in the room.

"How long until it is upon us?" she asked.

"At the speed it's walking an hour maybe two."

"Alert Sir Leon, I want him and a group of knights to intercept the creature, there may be a good chance that it means us no harm." The knight bowed and left in a rush. Morgana was about to leave for her home when she heard a familiar mental roar sent to her mind.

_Aithusa?_ She sent mentally. She was responded by a mental purring telling her it was her.

_Are you alright? Is Merlin with You? _Aithusa responded with unintelligible whimpers that confused Morgana until one of the knights shouted snapping her out of her contact with Aithusa.

"The creature is approaching Camelot! Ready your weapons!" At hearing this Morgana went outside the castle to where she knew Gwen would be. There she was with Gaius at her side staring out at the path that would lead to the Citadel of Camelot.

"What happened?" she asked worriedly.

"The creature was spotted within Camelot's borders; we now wait to see if it means us harm." Gwen said bluntly. The three stood there for a moment simply staring out at the path and awaiting the arrival of the creature as the knights all formed a perimeter a few hundred yards away from the Citadel to intercept the creature.

_At the line of Knights_

Sir Leon and the other knights all waited for the eminent arrival of the creature approaching Camelot, however they were not expecting a 10 foot tall creature made of a bluish stone. As it came within earshot Leon stood before the advancing creature and shouted,

"By order of the laws of Camelot I demand that you stop your progression and state what business you have in Camelot!" The creature did not stop moving or speak but continued to move towards the barricade of soldiers. As it got closer Leon noticed that it was carrying something in its arms wrapped in a black blanket. Ignoring what it was holding Leon yelled at the creature again.

"If you do not stop your progression to Camelot my men will attack you!" The creature was literally walking passed Leon as he said this and was wading through the blocking soldiers as if he was a child in the river. Angered by the creatures ignorance Leon drew his blade and rushed at the creature, once he was within reach he raised his blade and brought it down on the lower part of the creatures back. As soon as the blade made contact it immediately shattered into hundreds of pieces much to the surprise of Leon and the other knights. The creature then stopped abruptly and turned around; it did not look at Leon but at the ground at the broken sword fragments.

"Uhoh," the creature said innocently, it then turned around and continued walking towards Camelot. Leon was furious that the creature not only ignored him but that his attack had left no mark on the creature's body at all. As it continued progressing through the soldiers Leon finally called out to his men snapping them out of their trance.

"Don't just stand there in awe you fools! Stop it!" The men all drew their swords and stood in front of the creature in hopes to slow it down. They did not succeed. While it never once lifted a hand against any of its attackers it slowly waded through the men who would run up absent mindedly and strike at the beast with their swords only to have it smashed into hundreds of pieces upon contact. In fact the only movement that the creature made different from walking was lifting up its package over its head to prevent it from being struck or hit by the flying debris. It wasn't long until all of the swords from all of the knights were broken beyond repair, much to the anger of Leon and most of the other knights. As it approached the gates of the citadel there were a few sorcerers from Merlin's inner circle who were there to attempt stopping the creature. Some sent lobs of fire at it some tried sifting the earth from under it and some straight up tried pushing it back mentally, unfortunately nothing was successful. As it entered the courtyard of the Citadel it gently placed its package down, and stood there.

The sorcerers stared at this in confusion and shook their heads in awe. Back on the Balcony where Gwen and the others were at they were also equally shocked at the performance they had just viewed.

"That creature just literally walked past 2 platoons of soldiers and magical attacks," She turned to Gaius and Jane and asked "How is that possible?" As Gaius tried to work out an answer with the Queen Morgana couldn't help but feel drawn to the creature for some reason. She could tell that it meant no harm; otherwise it would have killed everyone who had attacked it. She found it peculiar however that it would just stop in the middle of the courtyard after placing its burden down. Ignoring the conversation between Gaius and Gwen she walked passed them down the stairs and into the courtyard where she was now just a few feet away from the creature. As she approached slowly she noticed the stone creature look up from the package and at Morgana directly. Morgana didn't sense any hostility in the creature but she was still wary. Once she got close enough to the creature where she could reach out and touch it if she wished she noticed that the creature moved its hand and pointed at the bundle.

"What is it?" Morgana asked calmly, not letting her fear over take her. The creature looked at Morgana and from its facial features she was surprised to see that the creature looked scared. She was even more surprised when she heard it speak.

"Friend hurt," it said in a deep childlike tone. Morgana looked confused as she looked down at the wrapped bundle at the creature's feet. Hesitantly she bent down and carefully unwrapped the blankets, not removing her eyes from the creature in the event it decided to attack. When she finally looked down at what was in the bundle she recoiled in fear and shock at the condition of the person in the bag. She slowly felt tears form at her eyes as she looked upon his face.

"Merlin," she rasped weakly at seeing Merlin's banged up and scarred form. Gaius and Gwen appeared down the stairs shortly, Gwen gasped at seeing Merlin's condition while Gaius went straight to work ordering the guards around.

"Bring him to my chambers immediately, and be quick about it! Call Linda and Mora and tell them Merlin is in need of healing. Don't just stand there like a group of fools! GO!" A number of knights gently picked up Merlin and carried him towards Gaius's chambers. As they left Percival scratched his head looking at the towering statue and asked,

"So what are we going to do with tiny here?" Before anyone could give a reply the creature followed the men carrying Merlin towards Gaius's chambers. The others looked at one another worriedly as the four (Gwen, Gaius, Morgana, and Percival) followed it worriedly. The doors into the castle were not a problem for it to walk through but unfortunately the next string of doors was. The first door/ obstacle that was presented before the Golem was small, even Percival had to duck going in and out of it. It did not slow down upon reaching the doorway but literally walked through the door _and_ wall leaving a giant Golem shaped indent in the wall where the doorway once was. Gwen, Gaius and Jane stared at it in shock while Percival did his best to stifle a laugh, his expression turned serious however once Gwen shot him a pointed look. This process continued for the next three doors where the Golem absentmindedly walked through each door unaware of the damage it was causing. When they finally reached Gaius's chambers Gaius ran ahead in front of the creature.

"No, no, NO! You cannot break my doorway!" Gaius ordered sternly. The Golem stared at Gaius strangely as he pointed through the door behind Gaius.

"Friend hurt," it said innocently.

"Yes your friend is hurt, I am going to help him because he's _my _friend to, but we can't have you walking through walls breaking the castle!" As if to finalize on the point the last doorway the Golem had walked through crumbled do to the lack of a support beam, causing Percival to break out laughing again as the Golem innocently said, "Uhoh."

Gwen who did not like the creature destroying half of her castle decided to try to bring the situation under control.

"We are very grateful that you brought Merlin back to us, do you have a name?" The Golem stared at Gwen with a confused look on its face. After a few moments of confused staring the Golem (much to Gaius's anger) walked through the door to stand beside Merlin.

"I'm not paying for that," Gaius said pointedly as he stormed into his chambers to care for Merlin. The blanket had been removed from Merlin revealing all the scars, bruises, burns and bite marks that resided over his body. The knights left while he and Morgana got to work on treating the wounds; unfortunately many of the wounds were covered in clay like substance that was difficult to remove.

"What's the point of all this dirt on him?!" Morgana raged as she magically removed, perhaps a little too forcefully."

"It's a Dwarven method to stop bleeding, Baric must have done it or another Dwarf did." Gaius informed taking a hammer and chisel to the stone on Merlin's leg. Unfortunately the wounds under the clay and stoned had gotten infected due to the lack of cleaning on the wound. While Gaius cleaned the multiple wounds with an acidic poultice Morgana began healing the less serious wounds with magic. As she tended the wounds Morgana recognized that a majority of the bites on Merlin's body were from the Nathair, she then noticed a deep bite mark into his neck that definitely _wasn't_ a snake bite. Morgana felt her blood boil at the thought of anyone doing this kind of damage to Merlin and swore that she would personally make them regret ever laying a hand on him. As they worked the large Golem stared down at them not saying a word and doing its best to stay out of there way. When the two girls Gaius had called for arrived they jumped at the site of the Golem and nearly fled until Gaius yelled at them to stop screaming.

"He isn't harming anyone just get over here and start disinfecting his wounds!" As he spoke he turned to Morgana and said under his breath, "My dear I need you to take our oversized friend here and get him out of the castle for now."

"You're crazy! I won't leave him like this!" Morgana stated gesturing towards Merlin. Gaius sighed and put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Jane please, what ails him is out of your power to heal him and we don't have the time to teach you what to do. Linda and Mora have practiced healing magic for most of their lives. Please believe me when I say that you getting it out of here is for Merlin's best interest." Morgana stared at Gaius for a cold moment before looking down at Merlin's haggard form and finally sighed in resentment. Turning to the creature she said haggardly,

"Would you please follow me out of the castle? We don't want to disturb the healers." Thankfully the Golem did not protest and followed Morgana out of the room. She led the creature out of the castle (being sure to lead it through the doors it had already made for itself) and led it out of the castle. As the unlikely pair walked out of the castle and through the citadel courtyard there were many nervous stares directed at the Golem as they walked out of Camelot. As they were just outside the city Morgana heard that the Golem had stopped moving, when she turned to snap at the creature when the sight she saw surprised her. There was a small bird, a lark, flying around the creature's head. It had stopped moving and was following it with its head as the bird flew around it. It then reached out one of its massive hands and the lark landed gently on the hand.

"Pretty bird," it said fondly as it examined the bird. Morgana couldn't help but stare at the creature as she noticed the innocence and childish nature of it. As it sent the bird flying with a small gesture of its hand Morgana approached the Golem and looked at it kindly.

"Do you have a name?" she asked gently.

"Name?" it asked in confusion.

"Yes a name, what do other people call you.

"Golem," it said after a few moments of thought. Morgana was taken aback slightly. _So this is a Golem, I guess Merlin found the city after all._

"But do you have a name people use when they talk to you?" she asked again. The Golem shook its head, whether to answer the question or because it didn't know Morgana wasn't sure.

"Do you know who you brought here?" she asked changing the question.

"Friend," the Golem answered instantly.

"Yes but do you know his name?" The Golem brought its hand to its chin in thought, a gesture that amused Morgana until it finally nodded saying.

"Emrys?" Morgana smiled gently.

"Yes he's Emrys, but most people call him Merlin."

"Merlin?" it said as if trying out the name, then with a nod it said in a much louder voice, "MERLIN!"

Morgana tried to calm the Golem down, "Yes Merlin, but try not to yell. You may scare people."

"Sorry," The Golem said apologetically.

"That's ok, and my name is Mor-Jane."

"Morjane?" the Golem asked.

"No just… Jane."

"Just Jane," the Golem repeated. With a worried expression it looked down at Morgana.

"Just Jane friend?" Morgana couldn't help but smile at the Golem's innocent child like nature.

"Yes Jane is a friend." Before another word could be said between the two a bolt flew passed Morgana's head and hit the Golem in the chest, instantly after contact the arrow shattered not doing more than surprising the Golem. Morgana turned around angrily as she saw Leon and four other knights aiming crossbows at the Golem. As Leon reloaded his crossbow Morgana fumed at him angrily.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" she seethed.

"Stay away from that _thing_ Jane it's dangerous." Leon instructed as he repointed his crossbow at the Golem.

"Oh yes a giant 10 foot Golem wades through all your men shattering every weapon you strike at him and _you_ think you can protect _me?!_ While I'm obviously talking to him without a problem."

"So it's a Golem than? The Dwarves have decided to attack us have they?" Leon fumed seemingly ignoring most of Morgana's words. With a glow of her eyes and a wave of her hands the crossbows were flung out of the knights hands and shattered upon the ground.

"If I ever need protection from a _competent_ knight I'll be sure to ask one of them." The insult stung Leon deep as he wiped a knife from his belt and aimed the point at an unwavering Jane threateningly.

"Merlin may get away with saying what's on his mind but you do not, your nothing more than some whore he picked up on his way back to Camelot. Disrespecting a Knight of Camelot is enough to have one thrown into prison for a long time, and Merlin isn't here to save your sorry hide." Morgana was about to snap at Leon when a massive hand came from behind her and grabbed Leon by the front of his armor dangling him over his head at eye level. The Golem did not say anything but its gentle blue eyes turned hard as ice as it stared at Leon with a look that could have beheaded him had he the chance to.

"Put me down you monster or so help me I'll- achhk" Leon's tirade was interrupted by the Golem tightening its hold around Leon's armor and causing it to cut into his neck.

"No hurt friend," it said in a cold look staring at Leon. It looked down at the ground and saw the knife he had used to threaten Morgana and stepped on it, causing it to break: blade handle and all under its immense weight. The other knights were frozen in fear as they watched the Golem dangle their Captain above them like he was a doll. After a few more seconds of death threatening stares from the Golem Morgana finally spoke up.

"You can put him down; I think he learned his lesson." The Golem looked down at Morgana and then back at Leon. Finally the Golem threw Leon towards the guards who caught him and ran away instantly not looking back at the Golem or Morgana. She couldn't help but laugh at the scene just took place in front of her, and the confused look on the Golem's face just made her laugh even more.

"Come on," she said kindly to the Golem, taking its meteor hand into hers, holding its hand like a mother would a child. "Let's go home,"

AN: Hey guys thanks for reading please review and tell me what you think so far and please also remember to vote on the poll on my main page. Next chapter should be out in a few days or so so I'll see you then!


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20 Demonology

It had been a couple days over a week when Gaius finally allowed Merlin to be brought back to his own house. While he was still unconscious and unable to care for himself the majority of his wounds had been cared for and treated. By the time Gaius and the two girls, Linda and Mora, had finished they were drenched with sweat and were exhausted from the amount of energy it took to heal Merlin. Morgana and the Golem had visited Merlin every day in hopes that he would awake on one of their visits, unfortunately that was not to be the case. They had brought Merlin home once Gaius had given them the clear and laid him on the bed wrapped in the blankets to keep him warm. The Golem stood in the small home hunched over avoiding anything that might break at its mere touch. Morgana took the liberty to magically enhance the doors of the house and of a number in the castle so that if it ever was allowed to be brought in again it would not destroy half the castle doing so.

Morgana was surprised to see that the Golem was a very gentle creature, it was very careful when it moved and did its best not to break anything. It also was very careful when in contact with people (when they didn't try to attack his friends of course) and she had even caught it allowing some of the children in the town to climb on its back and ferry them around much to the children's amusement. The only awkward thing was that Morgana had no idea what to call it. Calling it Golem just seemed to her like she was ordering a tool, so for the time being she decided to call him Gorat, she remembered Morgause once telling her of an extremely powerful sorcerer by that name long ago that simply disappeared one day never to be seen again. Given the power of the Golem she thought it a fitting name and it, he, seemed to like it as well. One day as Morgana was feeding Merlin a warm broth Gorat appeared in the door way holding Toby by the shirt out in front of him.

"Boy was at door Just Jane," Gorat said gently although Toby looked as if he was about to soil himself.

"Thank you Gorat, now would you put him down please I think your scaring him." Gorat nodded his horned head and put Toby down gently before leaving the room. Putting the bowl of broth down on the night table Morgana turned to a now shivering Toby.

"Well what is it Toby? Does the Queen have a message for me?"

"Sh-she wants to see you mam," Morgana gave the boy a smile and gave him am assuring pat on the shoulder and told him he could leave, which he running liked a chicken with its head cut off. Changing into a more formal dress she turned to Gorat who was standing in the corner silently.

"Gorat I'm going to visit the Queen, would you like to come?"

"What about Merlin?" he asked looking at Merlin.

"Don't worry the house is warded and he'll be fine," Gorat nodded and followed her out of the house towards the castle. Many people stared at the Golem worriedly but most of the people had already grown accustomed to the stone behemoth. When they reached the main chamber there was a mixed look of surprise and worry (and in Leon's case anger) at the sight of Gorat but Gwen did not seem disturbed by the appearance of the Golem. After Morgana bowed to the Queen she began her speech.

"Jane, I am happy you're here,"

"Is there a problem your majesty?" she asked simply. Gwen seemed nervous for some reason which wasn't like her.

"A delicate matter has reached my attention, and I am unsure if it is something to act upon."

"What have you heard Milady?" she asked calmly.

"There is a town a few days ride away where I have heard word that a man is claiming to be an expert on Demons and their branch of magic. I worry that he may somehow ally himself with Marion making the threat even more dangerous than I would like it to be."

"Why not simply have the man brought before you? Question him?" Morgana asked curiously.

"He has committed no crime that we are aware of so we cannot simply bring him here, and he has ignored our invitations to Camelot."

"So you want me to go to his home and speak with him?" Morgana asked getting to the jist of the situation. It was then that Gwen began to look worried again and shifted in her throne.

"I worry that you may get harmed in this quest, and I wouldn't want anything to happen to you lest Merlin go on a tirade about me sending you off on some life threatening quest while he is in recovery." Morgana had to hold back a scowl as she did her best to word her phrase correctly.

"Milady while I may not be as powerful as Merlin, I am still the next most powerful person in Camelot. I assure you that I will be able to persuade this man to come to Camelot." Gwen considered it for a moment before finally nodding in consent.

"Very well, but I insist that you bring a few men with you. Perhaps Leon or Percival could accompany you"

"No need Milady, I will bring Gorat with me. Surely he would be protection enough," Morgana insisted. Gwen was about to word her consent when Leon spoke up sharply.

"My Queen I do not think it is wise to trust the life of anyone in the hands of this stone mon-"Leon's words were drowned out by an angered roar from Gorat. His normally calm blue eyes had hardened at hearing Leon's voice and silenced the entire room in result. Percival leaned in close to Leon and muttered quietly,

"I don't think it likes you very much Leon."

"Shut up Percival"

"Enough, both of you! Very well Jane I give you leave to find this man and bring him to Camelot. Please be careful though, I do not want to explain to Merlin that you were injured doing a favor for me." Gwen said seriously.

"Of course milady, I will head out immediately." Morgana than left the main hall with Gorat close behind after sending a final chilling stare Leon's way. They arrived back at Merlin's house where Morgana changed into a more comfortable tunic and pair of pants along with a light set of chainmail under her tunic and began packing a small pack of medicines and food for the journey. As she headed to the door she noticed Gorat staring at Merlin through the door way.

"Friend not come?" he asked worriedly. Morgana shook her head sadly.

"No, Merlin isn't feeling well enough to come so he's going to stay here."

"Who watches him?" he asked curiously.

"Well Gaius well come by to watch him, you remember Gaius rights?"

"Old man with broken door?" it asked seriously. Morgana couldn't help but laugh at how simply it said that with a straight face.

"Yes that's him, are you ready to go?" Gorat took one final look at Merlin's form worriedly before turning back to Morgana and nodding his head. Morgana was about to leave when a thought crossed her mind. She went into Merlin's study where she looked at the Sidhe staff on the wall below his pure white one. She knew that Merlin had put spells on most of the dangerous artifacts to prevent anyone but him to touch them, but she couldn't help but wonder if he had removed any of the barriers for her. Slowly, she reached out her hand towards the Sidhe staff as she put her hand on it she sighed in relief when she didn't feel a jolt of power course through her body. She adjusted the staff to remain attached to her pack. Also in the heat of the moment she wrote a quick note to Merlin telling him where she was in the event that he awoke before she returned.

As she was walking through the town's square a worrying thought crossed Morgana's mind. While Gorat's appearance was a common sight now here in Camelot people from the bordering villages would remember him as the 'monster who walked through walls and scared people.' She quickly walked into a store and bought a very long and flexible leather wrist band. After a moment of forming the spell her eyes glowed and a mirage sensation traveled over the band. Turning to Gorat Morgana presented the band to him.

"This is for you Gorat," she said kindly. Gorat cocked his head at the band in confusion at it.

"What is?" he asked simply. Not wanting to have to explain the principles of the magic and spell put on the band Morgana said simply, "It's a gift, you wear it on your arm like mine see?" Morgana showed Gorat her healing bracelet on her wrist; he examined it curiously and then looked back down towards the leather band.

"Gift," he repeated the word as if he had never heard it before. Morgana smiled and put the bracelet on Gorat's wrist. It barely reached and after a bit of pulling Morgana managed to put it on the Golem's massive wrist. As soon as the band connected with its self Gorat's form instantly changed to that of a large man in a brown vest and trousers. Gorat looked at the band not even noticing the change that had over taken him.

"Do you like it?" Morgana asked curious to the Golem's reaction. The human looking Gorat looked down at Morgana and gave her a toothy grin.

"Thank you Just Jane," he said happily in which Morgana returned with a smile. It wasn't long until Morgana had taken a horse from the stables and began her travel to the city. She was surprised to see that Gorat was able to keep up with a trotting horse, apparently there was a lot that Gorat was capable of that she wasn't aware of. Morgana couldn't help but think now if Merlin was even aware of what it was capable of. The two rode in silence for most of the day until they finally came upon a small village, as they entered the village Morgana noticed that there were very few people out on the streets and the few that were outside were hunched together speaking silently with one another, none of them even seemed to notice the large ten foot man walking through their village. Morgana for the better part of the evening tried to get a number of the people who were outside to help give her directions to the man Gwen had sent them after. Unfortunately the moment she opened her mouth to say anything the people would look at her affrightedly and ran away. After the fifth time of this happening Morgana was severely frustrated and was heavily considering having Gorat grab someone just so they couldn't run away from her.

Morgana was about to head to the village inn and give up for the night when an older man, probably in his mid-fifties, approached her with a friendly smile on his face.

"This one noticed your frustration miss, is there something the matter?" he asked.

"Well aside from you being the only person who's spoken to me since arriving here yes I suppose so." Morgana said frustrated.

"Perhaps this one can help you then miss, what is it that you need?" the man asked curiously.

"The Queen of Camelot has sent me here to find a man who claims to be a specialist in a dark form of magic, I was told to come here and to convince him to come to Camelot."

"Why would that one need to go to Camelot?" the man asked curiously. "Is that one in some kind of trouble?"

"No not at all," Morgana assured "In fact we need his help, I don't suppose you know him do you?" The old man looked over his shoulders quickly before extending one of his hands out in front of him. Suddenly a dark and familiar flame appeared in his hand causing Morgana's heart to race at the site of the demon fire.

"Is this the magic that you seek?" the man asked with a knowing smile. Morgana worked to keep her expression neutral as she approached the man slightly.

"Is there somewhere that we may talk privately?" she asked. The man nodded and gestured towards a house that was on the other side of the village. As they made their way to the door way Gorat froze and looked sadly at the size of the door. Gaius had gone to great lengths to teach the Golem not to break through any more doorways and it was a lesson that stuck well in his mind. Morgana noticed that Gorat wasn't following her and turned her attention to him as the mysterious man walked into the house.

"Just wait out here for now Gorat, if anything bad happens I'll call for you alright?" Gorat just nodded obviously displeased about the situation. As Morgana followed the man into his home she saw that he was sitting at the table with a smile creeping at the corner of his lips. Morgana tried to ignore the creepy smile as she took a seat across from him at the other side of the table.

"So you're the expert on demon magic?" Morgana asked.

"Yes Demonology as it's properly called. This one is the only one on this side of the veil who can use it without being possessed."

"By a demon you mean?"

"Of course," the man said.

"Listen, there's a woman who has been possessed by a demon and she's causing a lot of trouble in the lands of Albion, Camelot could really use your aid in fighting her." Morgana pleaded, the man just stared at her with that same creepy smile at the corner of his mouth.

"This one is sure of that, the problem is that if this one agreed to help Camelot you would put restrictions on how to gain more power."

"What do you mean?" Morgana asked warily. The man stood up from his seat and began to pace around the room, as he spoke Morgana tried to keep him within her sights without moving her head.

"The magic used by the demons is not at all the same as the magic mortals use, oh no. In fact it is the exact opposite. While the power Mortals wield can be used for healing, conjuring, enhancements or other such things a demon's magic can only destroy, replace and remove. They cannot heal and cannot give life; but they can easily kill and manipulate." The man summoned black fire to surround his hand to show Morgana, who reflexively flinched at the sight of it.

"This fire give no light, no heat only destruction and pain to those it is inflicted upon and those who use it." As the man extinguished the flame from his hand Morgana was shocked to see that the man's hand had been terribly burned as a black liquid substance came out of his hand instead of blood.

"Why would you or anyone want to use such a power?" Morgana asked. "If it gives such pain to use it."

"No, this one doesn't feel the pain. Not anymore, now the pain empowers us but we mustn't mistake it for power oh no, that would be wrong. To all but the most powerful sorcerers and creatures of magic this one would be unstoppable, but even this one is barely a match for the one you call Marion." At hearing the woman's name Morgana jumped and felt anger flare through her body.

"So you've spoken to her than?" Morgana asked ready to grab her staff if need be.

"Oh yes she spoke but did not listen. She wanted this one to aid her in tearing the veil but wouldn't oh no, that would make this one to be one of the first to be possessed by a demon. Took much power to elude the witch, but next time this one will be more prepared."

"So if you aren't her ally than you're her enemy than yes? Return to Camelot with me and together we can defeat Marion. And I assure you that once she's dead I'll do all in my power to insure that you are released." The man stared at Morgana curiously when finally his words brought Morgana to the edge.

"And why would the Queen of Camelot take the word of Morgana Pendragon?" At hearing her name Morgana reached out with her hand and fired a bolt of lightning at the man, who in return caught it and reduced it to nothing.

"How do you know who I am?" Morgana demanded, the confidence she had moments ago now gone. The man laughed as he raised his hand and had a current of black lightning travel up the hand leaving numerous marks among the still oozing burn marks.

"Demons can see through magical disguises, so can this one since he can channel their power. It was obviously clear that you and your stone friend were trying to hide yourselves, but for what reason this one wonders. To hide in Camelot obviously, under the nose of your idiot queen." The man's voice was no longer the calm demeanor it was moments ago now he was getting obviously angry as he looked at Morgana.

"You came here requesting aid of this one as Marion did, this one will give you the same answer given to Marion: Not a profiting allegiance. But this one can have a use for you," with a wave of the man's hands black tendrils of smoke arose from the ground and restricted Morgana where she was standing. In a moment of shock she called out to Gorat and was instantly worried when he didn't come crashing through the door, the man however laughed at her misfortune.

"Your stone friend is busy handling my pets, each of the villagers here is my thrall and manipulated with demon energy. They may not be a match for your creature for much longer but it will be enough for me to make my deal." Before Morgana could ask what 'deal' he meant the man moved the table to reveal a circle underneath it with a number of runes and markings on the outer lair that Morgana could only guess at the meaning. Using his damaged hand the man wrote a number of other symbols within the circle with the black blood like substance until the inside border of the circle was filled with markings. He then began chanting in a dark voice that seemed demonic to the struggling Morgana who couldn't find a way to break out of the mist binding her. Suddenly, in the center of the circle, a radiant black light shot up from the ground expanding until it hit the border of the circle. Morgana looked shocked at the circle realizing what it was she was looking at.

"This is a portal to the other side of the veil. Using the magic of a demon this one is able to open a portal to pay its debts to those on the other side."

"What do you mean pay your debts? You made a deal with a demon you damned fool! It owns you!" Morgana shouted. The man shook his head unfazed by her words.

"No this one is not possessed, this one offers living beings to the creatures of the veil in order for them to give this one their powers. The original villagers have already been sacrificed, and this one can only guess at the power that will be given by sacrificing a High Priestess." With a wave of his hand Morgana's body slowly began moving over the open portal through the veil as she was dangled just above the vortex she used the only spell she knew of that _might_ help her _if _she was lucky.

"Any last words Ms. Pendragon?" He asked almost seriously. Not missing her chance Morgana said what was on her mind.

"_Astige du wyrm fah ond gedeowie dæt mod disse deowes. Hine bind ond da heold ond awend hi ealle!" _Before the man could react a roaring hissing sound came from the hole beneath Morgana. Just as the mist around Morgana vanished a massive seven headed snake emerged partially from the hole catching Morgana before she fell into the vortex. The man was horrified to see the giant snake and seemed to have no idea what was happening. As one of the snakes head helped Morgana back onto solid ground Morgana gained some of her icy demeanor as she shot daggers at the man.

"Do you know what this is? This is a Fomorroh, and if I'm not mistaken the oldest and most powerful of them. All of the smaller Fomorroh summoned by the High Priestesses come from this one. Only the strongest are able to pull this one from beyond the veil but thanks to you it was much easier to do," Morgana rubbed one of the heads of the Fomorroh, as that one hissed pleasantly the others stared vehemently at the man who was now close to soiling himself at the sight of the beast.

"Now normally I'd use the Fomorroh to control your mind and force you to my bidding until its venom eventually kills you. I am not that merciful today." Turning towards the snakes, who now all had their attention towards Morgana, she shouted one command towards them that sent them in a frenzy.

"_Akwele!" _Morgana shouted as she pointed to the man, the seven heads all hissed angrily as they rushed at him in frenzy. The man managed to fire off to shots of dark fire at two of the heads successfully destroying them but only to be attacked by the other five while the damaged two instantly grew back and joined their brethren in annihilating the man. As the man screamed in fear and pain as the Fomorroh ripped at his body the Fomorroh finally dragged the screaming man (and his severed limbs) back into the vortex. Morgana could hear the man's protesting shouts as the vortex began to close as soon as the last of the snake's heads were in the vortex. As the circle closed, right at the very center of the circle, was a dark black pendant that hung from purple velvet. Morgana eyed the pendant warily before approaching it slowly and throwing it into her pack without physically touching the pendant.

"Hopefully this trip won't have been for nothing," Morgana muttered to herself. She called in Gorat to make sure that he was ok and began searching the man's house for anything that could explain what had just happened. After hearing that that man had killed an entire village to obtain the power of a demon there would be no way she'd leave empty handed.

AN: Hey thanks for reading everyone and sorry for the wait, I'll try to have the next one up ASAP, but until than see you around!


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Reunion

When Morgana and Gorat finally returned to Camelot she knew that Gwen would not be happy with the news. As Morgana told her about how the man did know about the demons he had also sacrificed everyone in the village to give him their power somehow. Gwen was very distraught over hearing the news and was pleased when Morgana told her that he wouldn't be bothering anyone ever again.

"Well at the very least there's one less psychotic mad person using demon magic in the world, thank you Jane. I am indebted to you."

"Please think nothing of it," Gwen insisted bowing to the Queen. As she turned to leave Gwen called out to her.

"I thought you might want to know that Merlin woke up a few hours after you left, he's been asking for you since he got up." Morgana's heart skipped a beat but her composure remained calm and confident until she left the castle. As soon as she left the Citadel Morgana made a mad dash for the home she shared with Merlin with Gorat close behind following after her. Just before Morgana opened the door she looked down at her outfit, she was still in the tunic and trousers she had left in several days earlier. With a sigh at her appearance she slowly opened the door to find Merlin and Gaius sitting at the table with a pot of tea between them. When Merlin saw Morgana enter the house he shot up and instantly regretted the action as a shot of pain shot through his body causing him to sit back in his place.

"What did I tell you about moving to suddenly you idiot boy!" Gaius scolded thwomping Merlin on the back of his head.

"Well hitting me isn't going to make me feel any better!" Merlin complained as he slowly tried to get up again. His attempts were futile as Gorat bound into the room and lifted Merlin feet off the ground as he bound him in a large exaggerated hug.

"FRIEND! Friend is awake and no longer hurting! Gorat is happy!" As the Golem continued to swing Merlin in his embrace Merlin repeatedly slapped the Golem's shoulder trying to get the creature to release him. Morgana laughed at the scene as she put a comforting hand on Gorat.

"Gorat I think you're hurting Merlin, maybe you should put him down," Looking down at Morgana Gorat obliged by dropping Merlin on the ground causing him to moan in pain while Gaius shot up in surprise.

"She meant put him back on the chair not drop him on the floor you dolt!" Gaius scolded.

"Uhoh," Gorat said innocently as Morgana helped Merlin back into his seat.

"I see you've made a new friend," Merlin said in between his labored breaths.

"Yes, who'd of thought that I'd make friends with the Golem who carried you back to Camelot?" Merlin frowned for a moment as he looked up at the Golem towering over him.

"Is that how I was brought back?" Merlin asked confused. Morgana and Gaius shot a worried look at one another.

"Do you mean to tell us you don't know who this is?" Gaius asked worriedly. Merlin shook his head and told the story of what happened to him in the Golem city of Azbek, the role of the Fisher King in the war against demons and Marion's attack on the city in an attempt to claim Gorat's empty shell as a vessel for one of her thralls.

"I knew that he defeated Marion but after that I blacked out, I was under the impression Aithusa brought me back."

"She did send me a mental image that warned us that you were close," Morgana added. "Maybe she led him here?"

"Possibly," Merlin said rubbing his sore shoulders from Gorat's embrace. "This is all above my pay grade; I need a raise if I'm to be fighting demons so often." Before anyone else could speak Gaius got up and headed for the door.

"Well now that 'Jane' is back I think I'll leave you two alone. I'll be back to check on you tomorrow Merlin. Rest and don't do anything stupid," and with that Gaius walked out of the house shutting the door behind him. As Morgana turned her attention back to Merlin she saw that he was holding the note she had written for him days ago.

"So you got my letter then?" Morgana asked innocently causing Merlin to smile at the corner of his mouth.

"You realize that what you did was foolish right? What if that sorcerer was an enemy, or wanted to sacrifice you for some weird ritual? I wouldn't have been there to protect you." Morgana thought it smart not to tell Merlin about the man trying to sacrifice her just yet but instead tried a different approach. Grabbing Merlin's chin with her hand she asked seductively,

"And what makes you think that I need protecting Emrys?" She could feel Merlin's heart beat faster through the veins on his neck and couldn't help but laugh at his condition. As she moved to sit across from him at the table Merlin grabbed her wrist, surprising her as he had a smile on his face as well now.

"I do think that you and I have something to talk about though," Merlin said slyly.

"Oh, do we?" Morgana asked innocently. With surprising strength considering his condition he managed to pull Morgana close to him until she managed to sit on his lap with her arms around his neck.

"I believe before I left a few months ago you kissed me in front of the entire castle," Merlin said carefully. Morgana could feel herself blush but she didn't look away.

"I also told you to be careful but you didn't exactly listen now did you?" she asked deflecting the statement.

"Don't change the subject Morgana, you think maybe we should talk about it?" Merlin asked color now forming at his cheeks as well. Morgana gave Merlin a suggestive smile as she moved her face inches from his and asked in an almost inaudible whisper,

"Do you want to talk about it or would you rather…" to make a point Morgana gently brushed her lips against Merlin's gaging his reaction and was pleased when he responded to the contact. She brought her lips to his again, firmer this time, as their kiss lasted longer and was much more passionate. She could tell that Merlin was inexperienced at this but she wasn't in a much better position either. As they kissed he stopped abruptly surprising Morgana causing her to be caught off guard asking,

"What's wrong?"

"I can't do this, not like this." Morgana felt her heart drop in terrible sadness and was about to get up from Merlin's lap when he reached for Morgana's healing bracelet and took it off, disabling the disguise around Morgana's form.

"That's much better," Merlin said with a smile. With a huge sense of relief surging through Morgana's body they embraced once again passionately kissing one another as if they were the only people in the world. Unfortunately they remembered they weren't when they heard Gorat come from the bedroom with a blanket in his massive hand.

"Friend and Just Jane cold? Faces are very red." Merlin and Morgana looked at one another blushing heavily at forgetting that the Golem had been in the house the whole time. Morgana, recovering from her embarrassment first got off of Merlin and said, "No Gorat we're not cold, but we do have to talk privately for a while. Would you mind going outside for a few hours?" With a nod Gorat left the house without a word and went into the town. Morgana than walked up to the door and locked it while Merlin magically shut the curtains around the windows. It wasn't long until the two were back in their previous positions kissing each other passionately and intimately. After a few minutes and with both of their hearts beating furiously Morgana found herself getting up and pulling Merlin up with her toward the bedroom. He moved stiffly and slowly but their lips never left one another's as they slowly made it to the bed with Morgana on top of Merlin kissing him furiously. Soon Morgana found her hands stumbling at Merlin's shirt trying to pull the damn thing off over his head. When she finally managed to pull it off she paused and was impressed to see that Merlin was very well built and muscular under his shirt.

"What?" Merlin asked blushing at Morgana's hungry stare.

"I never knew you were so muscular, I never see you exercise or anything around the house."

"Well when you run as a stag you use muscles a lot more than when you ride a horse," Merlin explained. Morgana brought her lips back down to Merlin's as she moved her hands down his chest suggestively. She was surprised to see that he had an impressive collection of scars along his body, though how many were old or from his recent bout with Marion she didn't know, nor did she care. As they continued to kiss Merlin moved his hands up the back of Morgana's shirt and stopped abruptly as he felt her back.

"Are you wearing chain mail?" he asked curiously.

"Yes, now shut up and kiss me." Merlin obliged as he quickly pulled the tunic off from around Morgana's head and tried desperately to remove the chain mail from her back without ending the kiss. As he struggled with the straps he cursed with his lips still firmly pressed upon Morgana's as his eyes glowed automatically releasing the straps from the chainmail and falling off from her front leaving her in nothing but her pants and a white undershirt. He soon began working on removing her pants which were removed much easier and faster. In a surprising twist of motion Merlin flipped Morgana around as he now lay atop of her putting her on the receiving end of the encounter. As the two continue and Morgana starts to reach for Merlin's pants Merlin relents to the more 'dragonistic' urges in him and bites Morgana affectionately on the neck. She immediately froze and felt cold to the touch, she shot up with a terrified look on her face which moved Merlin off of her and scared him terribly.

"Get off of me," she said coldly as she got off the bed.

"I'm sorry," Merlin said apologetically, not sure what had just happened. He observed Morgana as she walked out of the room still in only her under shirt and undergarment, worried Merlin stumbled out of the bed, still stiff from his injuries and the ferocity he had gone through previously, and limped after Morgana. He found her just a few feet away in the study, her arms wrapped tightly around herself as she was visibly shaking. Merlin had never seen her like this before and was extremely worried about her now. He reached out his hand and put it on her shoulder as he softly said her name.

"Morgana-"

"Don't touch me!" she snapped causing Merlin to recoil his hand back. He felt himself sink into a sea of depression as he pulled his hand away from Morgana.

"Morgana I'm-"

"You don't need to be," Morgana said much more softly this time. She turned around and Merlin was surprised to see tears flowing from her eyes. Merlin just stood there as he watched Morgana, knowing it would be wrong of him to pry sensitive information from her in her condition. He stood there waiting for her to make the first move, but she didn't. She just stood there with an empty gaze as she looked out into nothing and all Merlin could tell from looking at her eyes was that she was reliving a memory. Slowly he made his way over to Morgana and gently wrapped his arms around Morgana, she flinched at the contact, not expecting it, and struggled to break from his embrace. When she realized that she couldn't (or that she didn't want to) she began to weep openly as she wrapped her arms around Merlin and began crying on his shoulder. They stayed this way for a few moments until Morgana finally calmed down enough to speak.

"I'm sorry," she whispered still trying her best to control her emotions. Merlin didn't say anything not sure why she had panicked so suddenly but he knew that it was probably a smart idea not to bring it up. He knew that if Morgana ever wanted to talk about it she would tell him at her own pace.

"It's alright," He finally said, holding her close to him in their embrace. "I'm here." Morgana cleared her eyes and nodded as she let him pull her tighter, for the first time in a long time feeling truly safe. As the two went to bed they didn't go back to their previous activities, but simply held each other in each other's arms as they slept, and for the first time in Morgana's life she slept without nightmares and without her healing bracelet.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22: The Dochraid's Rage

The next morning the two had forgone breakfast as Morgana brought out the artifacts she had acquired at the nameless man's home. She showed Merlin the pendant left behind and a very old book with unrecognizable writing in it. Merlin studied the book and the pendant intuitively trying to figure out something about the artifacts, unfortunately neither he nor the information from Kilgharrah knew anything about the pendant or any understanding of the language written in the book.

"I can honestly say I've never seen a pendant like this before," Merlin said frowning at the dark gem. It was easily darker than the Crystal of Jadira after Morgana had tried to heal him months ago, and that was a disturbing thought. Gorat was walking around the house and gently placed two cups of tea in front of the two sorcerers, Merlin had no idea what Morgana had done to it while he was passed out but apparently the Golem was friendly and had learned not to smash delicate things in his meteor hands.

"Morgause never told me about such a thing, and she showed me hundreds of different looking pendants and what they did." Morgana said holding the gem up to the light, careful to hold it only by the purple velvet and not the actual gem. Morgana put the gem down and turned to Merlin asking,

"Is there anyone you might know who could shed some light on this?"

"Only one, but I already sent word to her and she has no knowledge of random pendants or of sorcerers sacrificing people for demon magic." Merlin sighed almost angrily. Then his expression changed as an idea came to his mind.

"What about the Dochraid? Could she know anything?" Morgana's eyebrows rose at the obvious suggestion and she cursed herself for not thinking of it herself.

"It's very possible, but I haven't spoken to her since before I attacked Camelot. She may know that we've joined forces and she is really NOT fond of you." Morgana said pointedly. Merlin chuckled as he sipped at his tea.

"And I am definitely not found of that hag either, but unless we try something we'll never know what the gem can do." Morgana nodded in agreement as she sipped her tea to and bit back the urge to scream at how hot it was. How could Merlin stand to drink the tea at this temperature? When she voiced her complaint Merlin simply shrugged and took another sip of his tea.

"I couldn't taste anything so I had Gorat make it hotter, sorry if it burnt you." Morgana just gave Merlin a sly smile as she slid the cup across the table to Merlin.

"Then tell me Emrys, how are we to approach the Dochraid? She isn't exactly your biggest fan."

"This is why you're going to have to meet her alone." He said matter of factly, his answer seemed to surprise Morgana but she didn't seem to be angry.

"And why do I need to go by myself?" she asked playfully.

"Well for one thing she's going to know who I am the minute I'm within a league of her and the last time I met her I had to threaten her with a Dragon forged blade." At a mention of the blessed blade Morgana instinctually reached down to her stomach causing a sense of guilt to course through Merlin's body. He moved on however ignoring the feeling.

"And second of all if you go she might believe that you want to try to capture Camelot again." Merlin could tell Morgana was thinking the plan through and was pleased when he saw her nod in agreement.

"Your right, I'll leave to see the Dochraid immediately." She said getting up; Merlin limped up as well as he put his arms around Morgana's waist.

"Just make sure your careful, take Aithusa with you to so I'll know you're safe."

"Merlin what makes you think that I need protecting?" Morgana asked coyly as she wrapped her arms around Merlin's neck stroking it affectionately. Merlin laughed as he pulled her close to him and kissed her gently for a few moments. When they separated he was still smiling and now looking into her emerald green eyes.

"Just be careful, for me?" Merlin asked with a pitifully cute look that made Morgana laugh.

"Alright I will," Morgana promised. She gave Merlin another quick kiss before leaving Merlin's arms saying, "I have to change, if I'm going to see the Dochraid I'm going to need to look like my old self." Merlin shuddered at thinking of Morgana's former personality; it brought chills to his spine and did little to make him feel better. As he too got dressed for his duties for the day a thought seeped into Merlin's mind. The Feast of Beltane was in a weeks' time, Merlin just now remembered his promise to Morgana to let her use the Horn of Cathbhadh to speak to Morgause. It was a good thing that he remembered otherwise they may have missed the date. As he threw on the rest of his robes: a dark blue robe with his Dragon scale keepsake under his trade mark neckerchief, he came out of the room to see Morgana wearing a simple black dress with a heavy fur scarf around her neck. When she turned to see him she saw his look of worry and thought it was aimed at her attire.

"Too much?" she asked self-consciously.

"What? Oh! No, the outfits fine very dark and scary. It's just that I remembered that the time to use the Horn of Cathbhadh is a week away." The thought forming in Morgana's mind the recollection returned to her as she cursed at the timing.

"How long will it take you to get to the Dochraid?" Merlin asked.

"At least two days to reach her and then two days to get back."

"Well that's no good it's a three day trip to the stone structure." Merlin said frustratedly. Fortunately Morgana had a solution.

"What if I meet you at the structure? It's on the way of the Dochraid's lair and its only half a day's travel from there." Merlin thought it over and nodded his agreement that it was their best bet.

"Alright you go to the Dochraid, I'll get the horn from the Vaults and we will meet in one week at the structure." Merlin walked 'Jane' to the outskirts of the town and got a horse for her out of the stables. After seeing her off Merlin whispered a command to Aithusa in the Dragon tongue to watch over Morgana. Now, he and Gorat made their way to the main hall for their daily duties. As they walked Merlin thought of several scenarios of how to get the horn out of the vaults in the underground tunnels of the castle. He didn't want to steal it but if it came to that he was sure that Gwen would forgive him. As he entered the chamber Gwen was already in council with a group of citizens complaining about one thing or another. Merlin stood at the left side of Gwen's throne as the complaints from the citizens went on and on for what seemed like a life time. By the time the last person had spoken it was already dark out. He was relieved when Gwen asked him to join her for dinner and followed her to her chambers to eat, Gorat waited outside the room since the doorway was not large enough for him to walkthrough. As servants arrived with food and drink the two dug in when Gwen finally began the conversation.

"So I saw Jane leaving earlier today, is everything alright?" she asked curiously.

"Of course, there's just something she needed to take care of, she should be back within a week or so." Merlin said nonchalantly as he ripped into a chicken leg. As he swallowed he decided now was as good a time as any to ask for the horn.

"There is a favor I would ask of you, if you'd allow me though Gwen." Gwen put the goblet down from her lips nodding as she said,

"Of course Merlin what is it?"

"In about a week on the Feast of Beltane a ritual can be performed to speak to deceased ancestors, and I would like to be gone on that day to perform the ritual."

"Well of course Merlin! You don't need my permission to leave the city." Gwen said surprised.

"I know that but that's not the favor, I need the Horn of Cathbhadh from the castle vault." Gwen frowned at the name obviously recognizing the name.

"Isn't that the horn Arthur used that released his father to torment the castle?" she asked worriedly.

"Well yes, but Arthur made a mistake when he used the horn, I know what I'm doing and wouldn't release an angry spirit." Gwen didn't speak but played with the food on her plate. Merlin waited impatiently wondering if it would have been easier just to take the horn himself or have Gorat smash his way through the vault and grab the horn, finally Gwen spoke.

"Who do you need to speak to?" she asked simply.

"My father," Merlin said without hesitation. "He was a sorcerer before he died and I would just like to have his counsel for our… predicament." Gwen nodded in thought as she took another drink from her goblet. Merlin felt bad lying to Gwen but there was no way that he could tell her the truth; finally Gwen coughed snapping Merlin from his thoughts.

"Very well Merlin, you may take the horn from the vaults. But if your father attacks the castle in an angry rage it's on your head," she said only half joking.

"Deal."

_2 days later_

Morgana had ridden hard and fast to the cave of the Dochraid, Aithusa flew above her within sight in case anything went wrong with the meeting. As Morgana approached the cave Aithusa landed besides her, scaring her horse, as she dismounted and straightened her dress. As Morgana looked out towards the cave Aithusa growled in protest, the young Dragon had never liked the Dochraid forcing Morgana to leave her outside the cave whenever they met. Only this time she agreed with her complaints.

"I'm with you on this Aithusa, but we don't have much of a choice." Aithusa whined as she nuzzled Morgana's side affectionately. Morgana smiled as she embraced the young Dragon. As Morgana parted from Aithusa she stood at the entrance of the cave, before entering she closed her eyes and focused: focused on the cool, heartless person she was before. If the Dochraid learned that she had sided with Merlin she would try to kill her immediately. She opened her eyes and slowly walked into the cave as she entered she could hear and smell the Dochraid scrapping at the walls and her revolting odor, but Morgana kept strong and proceeded when she grew close to her the creature shot up and faced Morgana.

"**Who dares enter the lair of the Dochraid?"** it rasped angrily.

"It is I, Morgana Pendragon." As she spoke she held out her hand for the Dochraid to smell. The Dochraid was completely blind and relied on her sense of smell to recognize people. As the creature smelled Morgana's hand it settled back facing her.

"**I had feared you'd been killed,"**__it said uncaringly, as if it was little loss if Morgana had been killed.

"I may have lost the battle but I _will_ have Camelot under my control," Morgana said confidently and coolly. The Dochraid was silent as she sniffed the air and if Morgana had to guess she'd have said the Dochraid was frowning.

"**What is it that you wish of me?"** it asked curiously. Morgana reached into the pouch at her waist and pulled out the pendant; as soon as it left the pouch the Dochraid hissed and recoiled as if being stung.

"**Where did you get that?"** The Dochraid demanded.

"You know what it is then?" Morgana asked. The Dochraid hissed as she faced the pendant and didn't turn its head while she spoke to Morgana.

"**Centuries ago there was a war, a war where the veil was torn and the demons from the other side roamed the Earth. The demons were known to possess powerful sorcerers and control their body and minds, but there were a few sorcerers who were smart and dealt with the demons to take their power without being possessed."**

"How is that possible?" Morgana asked. If it was possible to acquire a demon's power without being possessed she couldn't help but wonder why Marion chose to be.

"**There are demons across the veil that are weak and may not have the power to defeat or possess a sorcerer, instead they dealt with them. In exchange for the lives of others they would allow the sorcerer to use its demonic energy, but there is a cost to this not told to the sorcerer. While he uses the magic he slowly loses his mind and is eventually possessed regardless."**

"That doesn't explain what this is though!" Morgana exclaimed impatiently.

"**When a human who made a deal like this is killed by one of their targets, the demon who dealt with it is killed and its power crystalized into a gem like that. With it a strong enough sorcerer can channel demon magic through it safely without fear of possession. Yours is the first I've seen in millennia. Where did you get it?"** The Dochraid demanded more intently this time.

"It's as you said," Morgana said with ice and venom dripping from her tone. "I was to be sacrificed and I killed him. So I can channel demon magic through it then? Safely?"

"**Yes,"** it said sniffing the air intently. Suddenly out of nowhere the Dochraid flung Morgana across the room with a wordless spell and held her to the wall unable to move.

"What are you doing?!" Morgana demanded trying to remove the spell but to no avail. She noticed that the pendant was now on the ground several feet away.

"**Traitor!"** The Dochraid screamed in rage at Morgana. "**You have lied with Emrys! I smell his musk over your body; you care nothing for the old ways!"**

"How dare you- ngh!" as Morgana tried to resist the Dochraid increased the pressure holding Morgana to the wall and she thought the stone she was pressed against was engulfing her slowly.

"**You have forsaken the old way, but with your trinket **_**I**_** will be the one to destroy Camelot and truly allow the Old Religion to rule once again!"** As the Dochraid raged Morgana shouted out for Aithusa, whom replied with an angry roar as she flew into the cave flinging herself at the Dochraid. As Aithusa bit into the Dochraid the magic keeping her to the wall ended allowing her to fall to the ground. As she rose groggily she noticed the pendant on the ground and picked it up. She then turned to see a struggling Dochraid trying with no success to get Aithusa to relinquish her grip. As Morgana approached the two the Dochraid called out to her.

"**Mercy, please!"** It pleaded. **"I deserve mercy,"**

"Mercy? MERCY!" Morgana yelled. She called Aithusa off the Dochraid who relinquished her grip as green blood fell from the creatures wounds.

"You try to kill me and then demand mercy?" Morgana demanded coldly. "I am a High Priestess of the Old Religion; any creature that attacks me is sentenced to die."

"**You haven't the power to destroy me, I am a creature formed by the old religion and cannot be destroyed!"** The Dochraid moaned through the pain from Aithusa's wound. Looking down at the pendant Morgana decided to test the Dochraid's knowledge of the gem. Putting the pendant on around her neck she heard the Dochraid gasp as a flow of cold power flowed through Morgana.

"I have more power than you realize," with a wave of her hand Morgana channeled power from the pendant releasing dark fire at the Dochraid, as the fire consumed the creature its screamed in agony as the fire consumed everything around her until finally she was silent. Once Morgana disconnected herself from the crystals power she instantly felt exhausted and struggled not to collapse from the exertion. As she slowly made her way out of the cave with the help of Aithusa she made it to her horse where she slowly began riding toward the stone structure Merlin spoke of. She was going to have a lot to explain to Merlin.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23 The Seeds of Doubt

Merlin had been waiting at the structure of stone for only a few hours with Gorat when he heard a familiar roar coming from the sky. He looked up and smiled when he saw Aithusa flying above him. The moment the young Dragon touched the ground Merlin wrapped his arms around her neck earning him an affectionate prum. Merlin hadn't seen Aithusa since he had summoned her to fight off Marion when he was on the expedition with Baldric and Baric to the Golem's city; he hadn't realized how much Aithusa had grown in a few short months. She was now easily twice as tall as a horse and easily twice as wide as well. As Merlin continued rubbing Aithusa's neck he heard the approach of a rider on a horse and smiled when he heard her familiar voice.

"So I'm gone for two days and you move on to another woman? I just can't leave you alone can I?" Merlin looked behind Aithusa to see Morgana wearing the dress she had on about a week ago when she left without the disguise of her healing bracelet on. Merlin laughed as he released Aithusa and walked over to Morgana.

"Don't tell me you're jealous of Aithusa Morgana that would be like being jealous of a man and his daughter" Merlin said teasingly as he wrapped his arms around Morgana's waist. She responded by wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him passionately. They stood there kissing for who knew how long and only stopped when they heard Aithusa growl. They both stopped abruptly to stare at Aithusa and were shocked when they saw that her growling was aimed at Gorat. They also grew worried when Gorat took a fighting stance while facing Aithusa.

"What's gotten into those two?" Morgana wondered aloud as she released herself from Merlin's embrace.

"Well Gorat was a Golem designed to kill a Dragon single handedly," Merlin said worriedly as he eyed the white Dragon circling the Golem slowly on the ground.

"You don't think he would though do you?" Morgana asked in a similar worried tone.

Gorat rushed towards Aithusa and jumped planning to catch the Dragon under its superior weight, fortunately Aithusa was faster and avoided the attack and leaped at Gorat knocking him off balance and onto the ground. Once Gorat landed on his back Aithusa took to the air and released a stream fire on Gorat's position. The fire hit the Golem head on but the Onyx Golem didn't seem to be harmed by the attack. Suddenly the gems on his back glowed dark red as he shot from his hand his own blast of fire that barely missed the air borne Aithusa.

"Stop! Stop fighting!" Merlin yelled as he tried to get the attention of the warring behemoths.

"You stop Aithusa I'll stop Gorat," Morgana instructed. Merlin nodded and ran under Aithusa shouting something in the Dragon tongue. Morgana ran towards Gorat and blocked his path towards Aithusa.

"Gorat stop! What do you think you're doing?" Morgana demanded as she prevented him from advancing. Gorat looked down at Morgana surprised as his eyes lowered from intensity looking at Morgana.

"Dragon attacked," he said innocently.

"No, YOU attacked her first Gorat. Aithusa is our friend," Morgana tried to explain.

"Dragon friend?" Gorat asked unsure. It wasn't until Merlin had Aithusa pacified on the ground that Gorat listened to Morgana. The two were properly introduced and didn't try to attack each other, however Merlin and Morgana were keeping their eyes on them just in case they decided to attack each other suddenly. As they sat on the ground around a freshly made fire Morgana explained what happened at her meeting with the Dochraid and the turn of events the meeting took. Merlin listened to the entire story without interrupting but Morgana could tell there were times where he wanted to burst out and say something whenever she mentioned being attacked. When she finished her tale she removed the demon pendant from around her neck and held it out to Merlin.

"A pendant that allows you to channel demon magic?" Merlin asked incredulously.

"That's what the Dochraid told me, and it obviously works to." Morgana said pointedly. Merlin stared at the pendant for a few moments before shaking his head tiredly.

"I don't care if the Dochraid said it was safe to use. For the time being anyway I think we shouldn't use the pendant." Morgana nodded and handed the pendant over to Merlin who was careful only to touch it by the velvet lace and not the actual gem. He put it in his sack and pulled out a vial filled with a strange liquid, Merlin uncorked the vial and downed everything in the vial with a reluctant look on his face.

"You're still taking that potion for the poison?" Morgana asked worriedly. Merlin nodded as he put the vial back into his sack.

"Gaius tried using the Crystal of Jadira on me again to clean it out but there's always something left, it's just easier than using the Crystal." Morgana nodded and leaned on Merlin's shoulder, who responded by wrapping an arm around her waist to hold her close to him. The two sat in silence and stared at the fire for an unknown amount of time until finally Morgana broke the silence.

"So you're positive that the horn will work tomorrow?" she asked.

"Yes, tomorrow you'll be able to speak to Morgause using the Horn of Cathbhadh. Did you ever learn about the proper way to speak to the spirits?"

"Yes Morgause explained it to me," Morgana said nodding. Merlin repeated the rules anyway to her just to ease his mind; once he had finished his explanation they had grown fairly tired and decided to take out the bed mats. They lay down beside each other hand in hand as they looked up at the stars; it was after a few minutes that Merlin could tell that Morgana had fallen asleep. Using his free hand he reached to the scale hanging from his neck and then looked back to the stone structure behind him.

"I hope nothing goes wrong tomorrow," Merlin said quietly to himself. It was the last thing he said before his mind slipped into the darkness of sleep. The next morning Merlin was awake before Morgana and was standing in front of the stone structure with the horn in his hand. As he stared at the structure he couldn't help but feel tempted to use the horn himself; there were so many people that he wanted to speak to, but he knew that it would have to wait another year. He had promised Morgana the use of the horn and he meant it, although he was worried about what Morgause might tell her. He kept these worries to himself as he heard Morgana walk towards him. She strung her arm within Merlin's and looked up to him as he stared out at the stones.

"Is everything all right?" she asked. Merlin looked down to her and nodded.

"Yeah, just making sure everything's in order. You'll have to blow the horn at noon though, when the sun is highest in the sky."

"Any last minute advice?"

"Yeah, don't look back," Merlin warned. The two ate their breakfast quietly as Aithusa bathed herself in the sun and while Gorat was trying to catch birds flying around. Finally noon had struck and the sun was directly above the stone structure causing it to shine slightly. As Morgana took the horn from Merlin's hand she looked up to him and, when she saw him nod, stood directly in front of the structure. She had taken off her healing bracelet and any other magical item she had on her person, she would have to enter the door way as she was unaltered for the horn to work properly. She then put the horn to her lips and blew into it releasing a note that could have been heard miles away. As the stones began to glow brighter revealing a door way Morgana took one final look back towards Merlin before disappearing into the doorway.

"Be careful," Merlin muttered as he heard the sounds of hoof steps from behind him.

_Inside the doorway_

As Morgana walked into the doorway the area the area all around her was extremely bright, surprising since she had crossed over into the land of the dead. As she walked more into the light she saw a form approaching her. She stopped and had the figure approach her, and once it was out of the glare of the light she could see the form of her half-sister Morgause wearing a simple elegant dress with her hair tied up behind her.

"_Sister,"_ Morgause said affectionately. "_I am glad to see that you are well."_

"Are you really?" Morgana asked, doing her best to keep her emotions in control.

"_Of course I am," _She said sounding almost hurt at the accusation. "_I have always cared about your condition."_

"Is that why you made it so Merlin would have to kill me?" Morgana accused getting right to the point. Morgause seemed to silently fume but when she spoke she sounded composed and calm.

"_Who told you this? Emrys? Would you believe that traitor over your own blood?"_

"He showed me a memory explaining how _you _used me as a beacon for the sleeping spell put on Camelot. The only way to reverse it was to have me killed."

"_Please sister, memory spells can be altered in the way __he__ saw things, he could have altered it to trick you."_

"Do you take me for a fool Morgause?" Morgana demanded. "In the memory was the Dragon Uther had captured at the end of the Great Purge, you and I both know it's impossible to alter any creature of the old religion into a memory, not to mention that Dragons can't lie either." Morgana waited for Morgause to answer but when it seemed she wouldn't Morgana turned to leave.

"I guess its true then," she said before being stopped by Morgause.

"_Wait sister, very well. You are correct; I used you as an anchor for the spell all those years ago. In a way I am responsible for your death."_

"It's your fault!" Morgana shouted unable to control herself any longer. "It's because of _you _that my life was ruined! I could have had a normal life until you got me involved in trying to conquer Camelot!"

"_Yes normal up to the point Uther killed you for having magic. I saved your life sister, whether you think so or not." _Morgause argued.

"That's a lie." Morgana said solidly.

"_Is it? You claim Emrys to be your ally over me now yes? Don't try to lie to me sister, I know that you are fond of him. But remember that he is the true cause of all your past, and future sufferings. Not me."_

"What do you mean future sufferings?" Morgana demanded feeling worried. The form of Morgause seemed to smile at the corner of her mouth before continuing.

"_You think Emrys brought you into Camelot simply so you could speak to me? For peace? He's using you! He planned to turn you in the moment after you spoke to me; Knights of Camelot are already on their way here."_

"You're lying, Merlin would never-" Morgana was interrupted by Morgause summoning a strange altar with water in it. Looking into it Morgana saw knights from Camelot along with a number of sorcerers and sorceresses approaching the stone structure, Merlin nowhere in sight.

"No, it can't be." Morgana said frantically, she knew the altar Morgause showed wasn't lying and yet she refused to believe it.

"_Believe what you want sister, but no that once you leave here your life will never be the same again."_ Morgana turned and left the doorway without looking back. Once she exited the doorway and was back in the living world she looked around frantically for the others who were nowhere to be seen. She looked around but couldn't see Merlin or the others anywhere. She began to worry until she saw something in the sky she relaxed tremendously when she saw Aithusa flying over head towards her, but when the young Dragon landed she knew something was wrong.

"Aithusa what's the matter?" Morgana asked. Aithusa let out a series of roars and moans and pushed Morgana with her head towards the forest. Before Morgana understood the message she felt the air around her stiffen as she felt someone nearby channeling magic. She spun around immediately and sent a bolt of lightning in the direction she felt it from and caught a middle aged man in the chest.

"Aithusa get out of here now!" Morgana yelled as she saw a group of knights approaching the location Aithusa growled at the knights but at Morgana's urging flew off over head reluctantly. As the knights approached she effortlessly took them down sending another bolt of lightning at them with a flash of her eyes, but as soon as they were downed another horde of them approached. Morgana continued to strike down the continued onslaught of soldiers until she felt something grab her wrists and pull, hard. When she turned she noticed a large root had popped out of the ground and had forced her arm to be held off to her side, before she could counter it another root appeared to hold the other. Morgana searched frantically for the sorcerer responsible but was prevented by the knights she had failed to slay who had finally approached. At the head of the group were Leon and Percival who each had dark looks aimed at the High Priestess.

"Well well, looks like our anonymous tip was right, it looks like Merlin didn't kill Morgana after all." Leon said coldly. Morgana was about to burn Leon to a cinder when she saw the sorceress who had confined her appear from behind the stone structure.

"Good work Selma," Leon said confidently as he approached Morgana with chains and a blindfold.

"You think you're going to get away with this?" Morgana demanded angrily as she tried to free her hands from the roots restraining her. "I will kill you all and then use your remains to feed the Fomorroh!" The next thing she knew she was hit in the back of the neck with a blunt object and knocked unconscious, her last thought wondering where Merlin had gone. As soon as Morgana had gone limp Selma released the vines from Morgana's wrist causing her to fall to the ground. Leon approached her limp form and put a set of shackles upon Morgana's wrists and onto her legs. He then tied them together behind her back preventing use of her legs and arms.

"Carry her back to Camelot, the Queen is going to want to speak with her," Leon said sternly.

An hour after the knights had left with Morgana Aithusa went back to the site with the stone structure, sniffing at the ground she found what she was looking for as she followed a scent down a hill towards a cave covered by trees. There she saw Gorat leering angrily at two men in armor holding an unconscious Merlin at knife point. Growling silently Aithusa crept behind the two men unnoticed and struck them down snapping one's neck with her tail and ripping into the stomach of the other one. At the one holding Merlin had dropped him Gorat reacted quickly catching the warlock and stomping on the heads of the two men who were threatening him. Gorat gently put Merlin on the ground and began weeping worriedly that his friend was dead again. Aithusa approached Merlin's body and breathed her magic into him to do what help she could, after a few minutes Merlin finally stirred and opened his eyes slowly to see that the three had somehow gotten into a cave.

"What happened?" he asked groggily.

"Men came and knocked friend out when he left to use tree, threatened to kill friend if I didn't listen," Merlin sat up and looked around freezing when he saw the corpses of knights, Camelot's Knights.

"Where's Morgana? What happened to her?" Merlin demanded in a panic.

"Just Jane came out of glowing door and men attacked her, took her away." Aithusa breathed into Merlin again this time showing him her memory of what happened and her sending Aithusa away. Merlin cursed and yelled angrily at himself for letting this happen.

"Come on, we need to get to Camelot fast. Aithusa help me, they probably took the horses with them.

AN: Thanks for reading everyone please review and tell me what you think. I'll have the next chapter up as soon as possible.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24: Point of No Return

The entrance Merlin made into the castle was in itself a terrifying thing. As soon as he had recovered from his most recent injuries two days later Aithusa had flown Merlin (and a magically lightened Gorat) to Camelot as fast as she could. Even though Gorat was magically altered to way no more than a pillow she still struggled at first from the additional weight of Merlin and their belongings. None the less they made excellent time back to Camelot dropping both Merlin and Gorat from in the sky to the center of the Citadel. As they fell Merlin was atop of Gorat's shoulders as they fell, removing the spell to make Gorat his original weight. Once they hit the ground a shockwave from Gorat's landing sent a shockwave throughout the Citadel and the castle breaking nearly all the windows in the front part of the castle, scaring the life out of everyone in the Citadel and leaving a crater in the ground large enough to start a small lake; and if that wasn't enough Gorat expressed himself by yelling angrily destroying the remainder of the windows.

As soon as they had gotten out of the crater Merlin limped towards the castle with the aid of his staff with Gorat in close tow behind him. When Merlin approached the main chambers there were a slew of guards blocking the door, when they saw Merlin and Gorat approach they immediately tried to stop them but not hostily.

"Merlin you can't go in there, Queen Guinevere is putting Morgana on tr-YAGGGH!" interrupting the knight mid-sentence Merlin, with a wave of his hand, sent all of the knights flying into the wall knocking them unconscious. When Merlin approached the door he felt a protective magical barrier around the door. If Morgana was in their on trial then they must have done it in an attempt to keep her from escaping, unfortunately it also kept him from getting in.

"Gorat," Merlin said getting the Golem's attention. "Break down the door." Without hesitation Gorat approached the door and punched the door: hard. It did not falter due to the barrier but the echo from the impact could be heard through the castle. Gorat lifted his other fist and made another indent in the door beside the other one, this time causing the wall itself to shake from stress. On the third strike the wooden door shattered into hundreds of little pieces as the barrier finally gave way to the pressure destroying the door in the process.

As Merlin walked through the door he noticed how there were now several men and women on the ground, probably the sorcerers and sorceresses who were upholding the barrier. As he looked towards the throne he saw Gwen staring at him with fury in her eyes and at the same time annoyance at Merlin's dramatic appearance into the main chambers. In front of her were approximately twenty knights holding swords or spears down in front of themselves aimed at someone along with two people Merlin recognized from his students for magical defense. It wasn't until he approached Gwen that he noticed the men were pointing their weapons at on the ground was a chained and restrained Morgana. As he looked down at Morgana he saw something in her eyes that disturbed him greatly:

Betrayal.

"Merlin! What the hell do you think you're doing?" Gwen demanded standing angrily from her throne. Never taking his eyes off of the Queen Merlin pointed his staff at Morgana, scaring several of the knights who were restraining her, and said in a deathly serious voice,

"Let her go." The room grew quiet as many people, including Gwen paled at Merlin's demand.

"What did you say?" Gwen asked, acting as if she hadn't heard him.

"You heard me Gwen, let her go," he said more angrily now.

"Merlin this is Morgana," Gwen said pointedly pointing to the witch. "The woman who has attacked Camelot time and again, the woman who has tried to kill everyone in this kingdom on a constant basis and the _woman _who killed our late King Arthur. You want me to let her go?"

"I told you Milady," Leon said suddenly standing in front of Gwen. "Merlin is in league with Morgana and cannot be – ack!" Merlin raised a hand at Leon and lifted him from the ground while grasping at his neck with magic.

"I have lost my patience with you Leon, no more!" Merlin said anger seething through his voice. As Leon clawed at his neck trying to remove the invisible force from his neck while Gwen shouted angrily at Merlin.

"Merlin that is enough! Let him down," She commanded. Merlin scowled once more before throwing Leon into a wall. A number of people gasped as Merlin continued to hold a steely stare on the Queen. As Gwen held the gaze with him for what seemed like hours she finally spoke to the room.

"Everyone leave the chambers, and have the prisoner restrained in her cell. I need to speak privately with our Court Magician." The two waited until the room was cleared and only they and Gorat remained in the room. As soon as they were alone Gwen began speaking again.

"Leon told me that when he captured Morgana that you were in the area Merlin, is that true?" she asked.

"Did he also tell you that he knocked me unconscious and left me for dead?" Merlin shot back angrily.

"Yes he did, he said that when he tried to capture Morgana while she planned to attack Camelot again you got in his way defending her."

"That's rubbish and you know it!" Merlin spat. "If I truly wanted to harm Leon I can do it without moving a muscle, as you just saw."

"Merlin what do you want me to do?!" Gwen questioned angrily. "This is Morgana we're talking about here; given the chance she'd attack Camelot again."

"She's had a chance for almost a year now." Merlin said angrily. This sent Gwen aback.

"What?" she asked dumbstruck. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out Morgana's healing bracelet, putting it on he felt the warm tingling sensation of the healing properties along with the glamour of him turning into Jane. Gwen recoiled at the sight and Merlin could see the anger rise in her eyes.

"She could have tried to kill you, me and all of Camelot dozens of times by now if she had wanted to." Merlin said in Jane's voice. "And if I'm not mistaken you two bonded during my travels away didn't you?"

"Merlin this is an act of treason!" Gwen accused sounding both hurt and angry.

"It's only treason if she had done anything," Merlin said after removing the bracelet from his wrist. "She has done no crime and has no right to be detained."

"Did you forget that because of her Arthur is dead? And the lives of countless other people because of _her!?_" Gwen accused.

"And I killed her for it!" Merlin reminded. "Forces beyond our understanding kept her alive," Gwen froze for a moment before realization struck her face.

"You mean she's working with demons?" Gwen accused worriedly.

"I didn't say that," Merlin defended angrily. Finally Gwen waved her hands having heard enough.

"Merlin I'm sorry, but Morgana is a wanted criminal in the 5 kingdoms and of Camelot especially. I have to do what is best for my people. I have ordered to have her burned at the stake tomorrow at dawn." Merlin had to struggle not to lose his temper otherwise he feared that he might take down the castle in his anger. Unfortunately Gwen wasn't done speaking.

"And for your involvement in Morgana Pendragon's recent… infiltration into Camelot Merlin, I have no choice but to charge you with treason against the crown and name you a traitor of Camelot. For your services to the Crown I will not have you executed but you are banished from the realm of Camelot, you have left me no choice. If you are still in Camelot by dawn tomorrow I will have you executed Merlin." With that Gwen turned and left leaving Merlin in the center of the room seething with anger and betrayal. Deciding against his instincts and wanting to raze the castle he quickly left with Gorat in tow back to his house. As he walked back to his home people were yelling at him and throwing things at him in anger for his betrayal to Camelot. As he walked into the door of his home he slammed the door shut, slammed his fists down onto the table and sent it shattering into the wall with a roar of anger.

Suddenly the door opened, Merlin turned quickly to see Gaius come in with a worried and somewhat outraged look on his face.

"Merlin, I heard about Morgana and your banishment,"

"She thinks I care about a stupid title or about living here," Merlin said angrily as he limped into his study. Gaius followed him trying to calm him down.

"Merlin I know you're angry but you need to control yourself, you can't help Morgana if you can't think straight."

"And I can't help her at all if I wait past tomorrow!" Merlin snapped angrily. Merlin sighed and sunk into his chair sadly. "Gaius I'm sorry, you don't deserve me to snap at you."

"It's alright Merlin," Gaius assured Merlin.

"No its not!" Merlin said finally calming down. He got out of his chair and looked out of the window for a few moments before talking again.

"Ever since I learned of my 'great destiny' I always assumed I'd have to do it alone for the most part, no one ever by my side, and I don't mean you Gaius. You've been there for me since the beginning. I mean someone I could spend my life with. But then destiny has to have a sense of humor whenever I'm happy with someone. Gwen falling for Arthur, Freya dying and now Morgana. The moment I feel like I'm no longer alone this happens." Merlin turns around to look at Gaius and the old man is surprised to see that Merlin is now crying.

"And I know that's how Morgana feels right now, along with feeling alone and betrayed. If fate wants to keep me from being happy so be it, but I won't let Morgana die thinking I betrayed her." The two sorcerers were silent for a few moments before Gaius walked up to Merlin and embraced the young man.

"I understand Merlin," he said. As soon as they separated Merlin began preparing a few potions and packing his trunk, being sure to completely empty the house of anything magical.

"So what's the plan Merlin?" Gaius asked simply as they stuff the last of the magical artifacts into the trunk. Merlin also put both of his staffs in the trunk knowing they'd be safer there.

"The plan is me going in to break Morgana out. Do you know where she is?"

"Well yes she's in the dungeon, but Merlin there are guards, knights and sorcerers all around the castle guarding her; even you won't be able to get to her." Merlin drank one of the three potions he had made and looked at Gaius seriously. "Trust me Gaius I know what I'm doing." Gaius nodded and asked,

"What about me? What do you want me to do?" Merlin uttered a spell over his chest and it shrunk several times to the size of a large marble. Handing it to Gaius he said simply,

"I need you to wait outside the outskirts of Camelot for Morgana, when she gets out there might be people following her. Give her the chest, tell her to hide and wait for Aithusa. Then tell her to run and not worry about me."

"Merlin what are you planning?" Gaius asked worriedly.

"Something there's no turning back from." Merlin said gravely. Merlin was about to leave from the front door when he noticed a number of guards outside his home waiting for him. Cursing Merlin went to the back of his house and put on his cloak and put the hood up.

"Gaius those knights are going to be waiting for me I need you to lure them away and alert them that I'm not home, I'll sneak out another way.

"Well what about him?" Gaius asked pointing at Gorat. Gorat went to a little cubby in the wall and pulled out the leather band Morgana had made for him and put it on changing his appearance into a giant man.

"Where did you get that?" Merlin asked curiously.

"Just Jane gave it to me, we save her?" He asked hopefully.

"Yes we will Gorat; I need you to sneak into the woods ok? I'll find you and tell you what you need to do afterwards ok?" Gorat nodded. Merlin then turned to Gaius.

"Gaius I'm sorry but this may very well be the last time we see each other."

"Merlin don't talk like that,"

"I just want you to know, you're one of the greatest things that have ever happened to me," Merlin said starting to tear up again. "I don't know what I'd have done if I had never come here all those years ago." Gaius began to tear up to and the two embraced crying silently into each other's shoulder.

"I love you Gaius,"

"I love you to son," Gaius finally managed. After wiping the tears away Gaius walked out the front door with Gorat in tow with him. Merlin went to the back of the house and made a little hole in the wall that led outside. Focusing on a small shape Merlin felt his body shrink and turn into the form of a mouse. When he opened his eyes the hole he had made was easily twice as big as he was. Merlin was glad that he had taken the potion earlier, it would insure he'd feel no pain for half a day and shape shifting itself was painful enough when you weren't suffering from other injuries. Merlin quickly and quietly traveled through Camelot in this form, careful to keep away from under the feet of the townspeople and moving carts until hours later he made it into the woods outside of Camelot.

Quietly he called out to Aithusa to meet him and was relieved when she replied instantly and was there within seconds. Merlin could see that Aithusa was worried about Morgana, and Merlin didn't want to add the burden of telling her the rest of his plan, so the two hid until nightfall. Merlin lied on Aithusa's side stroking her neck affectionately for hours as they waited for Gorat. Finally Merlin couldn't hold back his feelings anymore and spoke to Aithusa.

"I'm sorry I could never help you speak again Aithusa, I've been a lousy father haven't I?" Aithusa hummed affectionately as she nuzzled Merlin affectionately.

"And I want you to know that no matter what happens tonight, I'm very proud of you." Aithusa made a confused sound as she looked up at Merlin but ended it when they heard a sound coming from behind them. The two jumped but were relieved when they saw that it was only Gorat approaching.

"Were you followed?" Merlin asked.

"No, old man gave you this just in case." Merlin took the items from Gorat and saw that they were a piece of parchment, a quill and a bottle of ink. Merlin quickly scribbled a letter onto the parchment and pocketed it along with Morgana's jewelry; time was short to finish preparations.

"Alright here's the plan: Aithusa, you're going to distract the knights and draw as many of them as you can out of the castle to try and attack you as soon as I give you the signal. I'll help make you look differently so people are more afraid and won't recognize you, I'll also add in some special effects myself to help keep people from attacking only you. Gorat, you and I will break into the castle. Once I get Morgana out of her cell you're going to carry her out ok? While I draw whatever guards are around you bring her to Gaius ok? Don't let anything happen to her."

"I will protect Just Jane," Gorat said menacingly. Merlin nodded and pulled out the second of his three potions and downed it.

"Then lets save Morgana," Merlin said in an old raspy voice.

_One hour later_

With his hood up Merlin slowly strode through the citadel at night, waiting for a patrol of knights to see him. Like clockwork a group of knights approached them and forced his hood off his face.

"Old man what business do you have here at this time of night?"

"My business is my business! And I'd appreciate it if you remembered that!" the old man said stubbornly.

"Sir it is a crime to be out in the citadel this late at night, what do you have to say for yourself?"

"Oh a crime is it?" the old man said jovially. "Well what do I have to say about it?" in a more serious tone Merlin chanted his spell which the guards were to slow to prevent.

"_Ic cume eft to Camelot. Swá þæt ic mæg min fæhþ awrecan! Nu ic lybbe ece and ic mæg rædan min burh!"_ The moment the spell was finished the Gargoyles on various ledges of the Castle came to life and flew through the sky shrieking and began causing trouble in the town and for the guards.

"Sorcerer! Do you know what you've just done?" the angry knight demanded.

"Uhhuh," Merlin said smugly pointing to the sky, " I made the signal," before the knight could question what he meant an ear shattering roar came from the sky above. The knights and towns people looked up to see a massive bronze Dragon come from the clouds, breathing fire down onto the town below him.

"I HAVE COME FOR MY REVENGE!" The Dragon's menacing voice called out from the sky. As the knights ran to try to fight off the flying Dragon Merlin managed to sneak into the castle. Once he was there he saw Gorat following him in tow from his hiding spot, no longer disguised the Golem managed to swat away a group of oncoming knights before they got to close to Merlin. Nodding his thanks Merlin gestured to the hall way they had to take.

"Let's go," he rasped.

_Morgana's Cell_

Morgana laid shackled and blind folded in her cell unable to move as she silently cursed her naivety. _I should have known he'd betray me,_ she thought to herself as she felt tears flow from her eyes. _I should have known he'd have sent the knights after me eventually. I deserve this fate for thinking I could trust him._ Suddenly her cell and the room around shook violently as she heard footsteps from outside her cell.

"What's going on outside?" one of her guards asked panicked.

"There's a Dragon outside terrorizing the city! The Queen has ordered any and all knights and sorcerers to get out and defend the city."

_Aithusa?_ Morgana thought to herself worriedly._ What is she trying to do?_

"Well what about her? We can't leave her unguarded."

"Leave the mages, as long as she can't use magic she isn't a threat, come on let's go!" The knights all ran away leaving only the two mages there who were keeping her from using magic, after about ten minutes though Morgana heard familiar heavy footsteps coming down the hallway.

"Holy shit it's the Golem!" one of the mages shrieked. Before anything was said Morgana could see a bright flash from behind her blindfold and heard the sound of bodies slammed into walls. She tensed her body as she heard an old wizened voice shout the spell,

"_Tospringe!"_ Morgana heard the cell door swing open and someone approach her, she tensed her body expecting someone to hit her but was relieved and surprised when she saw who removed her blindfold.

"Merlin?" she asked in shock.

"We don't have a lot of time, _tospringe" _at the sound of the spell the shackles around Morgana's arms and legs were removed revealing marks where they cut into her wrists and ankles. As Merlin helped Morgana off of the ground she couldn't help but feel confused at what was happening.

"What's going on?" she asked weakly.

"What does it look like? I'm getting you out of here." The old Merlin said with a hint of a forced smile at the corner of his mouth.

"But why?" Morgana couldn't help but ask. As Merlin handed Morgana to Gorat he also handed to her the demon pendant, her healing bracelet and the letter he had scribbled earlier.

"Don't ask questions, Gorat will get you out of here safely. I'll lure the rest of the guards away so you won't have to deal with them." As if on cue the sound of armored footsteps was coming from the hall across from them. Looking back at Morgana and Gorat Merlin said in a commanding voice,

"Get her out of here!" Before running towards the knights.

"Merlin NO!" Morgana called out as Gorat began running the other way. As he ran Morgana tried to pry loose out of the Golem's hands while trying to convince him to go back.

"Gorat turn around, we have to help Merlin!"

"Friend didn't say to help him, said to get Just Jane outside to old man and Dragon." Morgana felt terrible on the inside now for have doubting Merlin, he never would have betrayed her and she was the fool for believing Morgause's taunts. As Gorat ran out of the castle Morgana's eyes widened as she saw the Dragon from Merlin's memories breathing fire down upon Camelot in an angry frenzy.

"Where did he come from?" Morgana asked worriedly.

"Friend made little Dragon look bigger and scarier." Gorat explained as they rushed towards the gate, they were unfortunately blocked off by a patrol of knights led by none other than Leon.

"DON'T LET IT PASS MEN, FOR THE LOVE OF CAMELOT!" As the men charged at Gorat the Golem through Morgana high in the air. As she was thrown up the whitish blue crystals on his arms and back began to glow viciously, when Gorat placed his hands to the ground a wall of ice spikes shot from the ground and impaled all the men but Leon. When Leon came close enough to Gorat he struck at the Golem with his sword where it immediately shattered on impact. As soon as the sword was destroyed Gorat punched Leon square in the chest sending him flying into the wall killing him instantly. Gorat then looked up and caught Morgana as she fell to the ground.

"Don't ever do that again," Morgana pleaded dizzily. As he ran out of the city and into the woods he let out a loud roar that could be heard from within the dungeons of Camelot.

_Merlin_

Merlin had lead the knights to the opposite side of the dungeons when he heard Gorat's signal that they were safe. Smiling Merlin called out in the Dragon tongue that she needed to meet up with Gaius and the others. As the knights surrounded him he held up his hands in defeat as they all stared at him with weapons raised.

"I surrender," the old man croaked with a smile. Merlin was then dragged to the main chamber of the palace where Gwen sat on her throne with an enraged furious look on her face. When she saw the old man responsible for Morgana's escape she yelled angrily.

"So THIS is the choice you've made Merlin?" she demanded. The knights looked confused at the old man as he pulled out the last of his potions and drank it, returning him to his original age.

"It is," he said stubbornly.

"And you realize Merlin that you are now officially an enemy of Camelot?"

Merlin nodded. "I do."

"I will give you one chance to tell me where Morgana is Merlin, tell me where she is and I will let you go."

"Never," Merlin stated defiantly. Losing her temper Gwen got down from her throne and slapped Merlin across the face.

"Then you leave me no choice Merlin. I will not have you executed, no for attacking Camelot and releasing its most dangerous enemy I hereby send you to be imprisoned under the castle where the Dragon you just unleashed on the city was trapped, restrained by the same chains that held it for the rest of your life time. Get him out of my site!"

The knights dragged Merlin down to the dungeons and into the caverns that he used to frequent to speak to Kilgharrah, as he was brought down the stairs he heard Kilgharrah's voice speaking about the chains that imprisoned him.

_Forged by an unknown force eons ago these chains are able to restrain all creatures of the Old Religion. The chains are crafted from a now extinct metal that was also used in the Knights of Medhir's swords. The chains will torture any creature of magic with excruciating pain that prevents them from using magic as long as they are in contact with the metal. While Dragons can still use magic while chained, the pain remains unbearable. By some it is considered a fate worse than death._

As the knowledge slips away Merlin realizes they are in the darkness of the caverns as they go down the seemingly endless flight of stairs. As Merlin is held in place one knight grabs the first chain and puts it on his left wrist, the pain is instant and unbearable. It is then repeated for his right wrist and then the larger one used for Kilgharrah's ankle all those years ago was put around his waist. As Merlin screamed out in agonizing pain the most painful thing he felt was the distant scream of a young Dragon mentally screaming in unison with him, as one word is sent through their mental and spiritual link.

_FATHER!_

AN: A pretty decent plot twist if I say so myself, please review and tell me what you think. Will have more up ASAP.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25: The Pain of Loss

Gorat had just carried Morgana to where Gaius was waiting at Merlin's request, when he saw the two he let out a visible sigh of relief as he hurried over to Morgana.

"Thank goodness your safe, are you injured?" he asked worriedly.

"I'm fine, other than the guards being rough with me from the trip back to Camelot." Regardless of her words Gaius did a medical examination of Morgana's body treating what minor wounds she had. As he cleaned the shallow wounds with a poultice they heard the approaching sound of wing beats from above. The two looked up and saw Aithusa flying from above, the spell making her look like the Great Dragon had worn off as she landed on the ground beside Gorat. At seeing Morgana she bounded happily over to the witch and nuzzled her gently as Morgana rubbed her head.

"I'm glad to see you to Aithusa, but where's Merlin?" Aithusa looked around the area confused not understanding the question until she noticed that Merlin was nowhere to be seen. Morgana turned to Gaius in hopes for clarification but the old man shook his head unknowingly.

"He didn't tell me the extent of his plan, only that he wanted me to wait here for you. That was the last I saw of him." Suddenly Morgana remembered the letter Merlin had given her along with her healing bracelet and the dark pendant; reaching into the folds of her dress she pulled out the letter and unfolded it revealing Merlin's un neat handwriting scrawled on the paper.

_Dear Morgana,_

_If you are reading this then Gorat has managed to safely carry you out of Camelot_

_and at the rendezvous point where Gaius is waiting for you. In Gaius's possession is a chest _

_containing all of the magical artifacts I've been able to collect and grab from the vaults_

_of Camelot over my few months as the Court Magician along with all of my Gold._

_Take the chest, Gorat and Aithusa and run from Camelot. While I had no problem storming_

_the citadel to break you out I do not plan on fighting out of Camelot, it would result simply in my_

_destroying the castle to try and escape. Please, I know you don't like to listen to me but if I am to be _

_imprisoned and not killed I do NOT in any way want you to come and try to rescue me, just take the _

_others and run. I will easily be able to withstand any punishment they give to me knowing that you are_

_safe._

_You are forever in my thoughts,_

_ Love Merlin._

As Morgana read the note she felt a series of emotions coursing through her mind and body: anger, sadness, confusion and annoyance at the letter. Merlin should know that there would be no way she _wouldn't_ storm the castle during the calm to free him before he was executed. Before Morgana handed the letter off to Gaius she noticed that Aithusa was now suddenly on the ground shaking strangely as if she was injured. Frowning in worry Morgana approached the white Dragon and tried to find what was hurting her.

"Aithusa what's wrong? Are you hurt? Gaius come here and check on her." As Gaius was approaching Aithusa and was about to bend down to tend to her the young Dragon's eyes shot open, her normally calm blue eyes dilated, as she thrashed out in pain from an unknown source. Before Morgana or Gaius could react or do anything Aithusa let out an ear splitting wail as she roared out in pain followed by uttering out a single word in a cracked labored tone.

"_FATHER!"_ Not waiting for Morgana or Gaius to do anything the Dragon leapt into the air and flew back towards Camelot in the dead of the night. As Morgana and Gaius watched in worry and fear as the young Dragon flew towards the castle. As they watched Aithusa disappear in the night two thoughts went through her mind.

That somehow Aithusa overcame the dramatization she had experienced being trapped by Sarrum for two years

And 2. Fear that there was something terribly wrong with Merlin.

_In the cave_

Merlin lay slumped against the wall in the agonizing pain being sent through his body via the chains restricting him all over his body. Out of the several chains he was connected to the one connected to his chest hurt the most. Although Merlin tried to resist screaming out from the pain it was too much to bear for even the Warlock as his screams sent out echoes throughout the seemingly borderless caverns. He had tried several times in his brief time in restraints to remove the chains from his body but the minute Merlin felt the flow of magic flow through him the pain from the chains increased tenfold causing him to scream even louder than before. He had been imprisoned for barely an hour and already Merlin was wishing for death.

_How could Kilgharrah bear this for decades? It's maddening!_

As Merlin was knocked unconscious from the pain on his next bout of awakening he noticed a light illuminating the dark cave in front of him, as he slowly moved his head he saw that it was Gwen who was coming down the stairs of the cavern alone with a torch in her hand. As she approached Merlin tried to compose himself, to not let her know that the pain was killing him in only a mere few hours. As she approached he had composed himself what little he could as she looked down at him as she loomed over him.

"I trust the chains are doing their job, Merlin?" Gwen asked morbidly as she looked down at the once great Warlock. Merlin looked up haggardly and gave her the best rebellious smile he could muster.

"It isn't the most comfortable seat I've been in that's for sure," he said curtly as he struggled not to let the pain get the best of him. As Gwen looked down at him Merlin could tell that the Queen was conflicted in something, as she bent down Merlin could tell that she had been crying earlier.

"Damn it Merlin! Why did you have to release Morgana? If it had been any other crime I'd have pardoned you, but you betray me twice by helping her escape."

"If your here only to reprimand me Gwen you needn't bother, these chains make your scolding voice seem like a cool bath in the river," Merlin said idly.

"Merlin those chains were made to restrain creatures of great power, Dragons and Griffins and their sorts, if you remain restrained like this and you'll be dead within days. A day if you're lucky."

"Get to the point Gwen, what do you want?" Merlin demanded not wanting to hear Gwen's voice any longer than necessary now. Gwen looked Merlin in the eyes and she could only imagine what pain he was experiencing right now.

"I'll extend my offer to you one more time Merlin, tell me where Morgana is and I will release you from your bindings and reinstate your position in court. It'll be like-"

"You're a fool if you think I care about that damned position Gwen," Merlin blurted out as he struggled to speak. Using the last of his strength he picked his body up slightly and managed to turn his body around putting his back to Gwen, his message being broadcasted obviously. Gwen losing her temper through the torch on the ground as she shot up from the ground.

"Fine Merlin I gave you a chance, and know that I'll be the last face you see before your eminent death. Goodbye Merlin." As Gwen retreated back towards the stairs and as he heard her footsteps disappear he couldn't help but laugh at the situation, which was craziness in itself. Merlin lied there for what seemed like an infinite life time as the pain relentlessly went through his body, as he lied there accepting the pain he felt as if his skin was boiling under his chest and at his wrists. When Merlin finally went to sleep, or passed out from the pain he wasn't sure which, he was bothered by an annoying clatter from deeper in the cave. He tried to ignore it, trying to allow the cold numbing feeling of the ground to overcome him so the pain would fade away. As he slipped farther and farther into the void of pain he heard the sound again, this time it sounded like claws on stone. Merlin was to exhausted t care and didn't react to the scratching, if he was lucky it was an animal large enough to kill him.

Suddenly Merlin felt a split instance without pain, surprised by the feeling his eyes shot opened. When he looked around the light from the torch had died off some time after he passed out, but he could tell that there was a large presence nearby, a familiar presence. As Merlin tried to move he felt the presence without pain again and he was able to sit up and turn to the direction it came from. Merlin was about to ask when the torch sprang back to life revealing Aithusa to be standing before him.

"Aithusa," Merlin managed to croak wearily at the sight of the young Dragon.

"Father," Aithusa croaked in a haggard voice. Merlin realized that Aithusa had spoken, the first time in two years, but the pain made it to unbearable for him to point it out. It was already too much for him to sit up and look at her.

"You shouldn't be here," Merlin finally managed to say to the Dragon.

"You're in pain," Aithusa said pointedly, ignoring Merlin's statement. The pained Warlock forced a smile as he tried to assure Aithusa that he was ok, she wasn't as gullible as she used to be unfortunately.

"We can get you out of here, there's a cavern Kilgharrah told me about. Its how he escaped, Morgana and Gorat can help me get you."

"No," Merlin said crushing the young Dragon. She didn't understand why Merlin wasn't being more cooperative.

"Why not?" Aithusa demanded hoarsely. Merlin gestured to the chains that were restraining him.

"These were used to keep Kilgharrah here for a long time Aithusa, he was much stronger than I am now and he was weakened from surviving that long. I'm not going to last nearly as long as he did."

"NO!" Aithusa nearly shouted angrily. Turning to part of the links of the chain Aithusa slashed at it with her claws, doing no damage to the chain. Aithusa then began gnawing at the chains in hopes that that would undo its binding. Merlin protested, claiming that Aithusa's efforts were only hurting her but the young Dragon wasn't listening to him. When her fire proved to be equally useless against the chain Aithusa roared angrily at it as she turned her head back to Merlin.

"I'll bring Morgana and Gorat, they might be able to break it-"

"Aithusa stop!" Merlin finally managed weakly. "The only thing that bringing Gorat and Morgana here will do is have them captured. There's nothing you can do."

"But there has to be," Aithusa wailed tears forming at the young Dragon's eyes. "You freed Kilgharrah somehow can't we-"

"No," Merlin said weakly, now struggling to speak to overcome the pain. "I insured it would be impossible. Even a sword you enchanted would be useless on these chains Aithusa. There's nothing we can do." Aithusa was beginning to whine as Merlin finished speaking. The news her father had given her was too much to bear. Aithusa prepared to curl herself around Merlin when he snapped at her.

"No," Merlin said sternly.

"But Father-"

"Do you not think they'll find it strange if a Dragon got in here somehow? Or how they'd punish you?"

"I don't care, I won't leave you alone here! No one should be trapped by themselves!" Aithusa wailed.

"Aithusa I'm not going to ask you again," Merlin said feigning anger. Thankfully Aithusa couldn't tell that he was faking it. "Leave now!"

"No!" Aithusa refused.

"_O drakon, e male so ftengometta cene hole tesd'hup'anankes!" _Merlin shouted at Aithusa. (Dragon leave now and do not return lest I lose my temper!) With a roar filled with remorse and regret Aithusa flapped into the air and flew upwards in the cavern. She circled Merlin for a few moments before finally flying towards what Merlin hoped was the way out of the cavern. He felt tears flow from his eyes, and for a moment they hurt more than the chains restraining Merlin. As Merlin cried in the silence he felt as if a part of him inside was swelling, when he suddenly heard Kilgharrah's voice. Unlike before however, when the voice gave him only knowledge, this time he spoke to Merlin.

"_You did the right thing Merlin, keeping Aithusa here would have killed her."_

"Are you really there? Or am I losing my mind." The voice of Kilgharrah laughed in Merlin's mind.

"_A little of both is safe to say I'd wager."_

"How long do you think I have?" Merlin asked struggling to wipe a tear from his eye and not bothering to question Kilgharrah's presence.

"_Given your power combined with the pain tolerance of a human: no more than two days, if you remain strong. I can say from experience however that death would seem kinder though."_

"Any of advice on what I can do?" Merlin asked as he struggled not to pass out. The answer he heard Kilgharrah say was the last thing he would have expected as he passed out into darkness from the pain.

"_You can give up,"_

AN: Hey guys thanks for reading, please give me your reviews and any other criticisms. Remember I live for reviews and there not too hard to do, I'll have the next chapter out ASAP so until then.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26: Crazy Idea

It had been several hours since Aithusa had lashed out and flown off toward Camelot, Morgana was worried deeply and the only thing keeping her from searching for her was Gaius's constant reminders that she'd be killed on sight if she were to leave their hiding spot, though it was clear they wouldn't be able to stay there much longer anyways. They were both instantly relieved however when they heard the sound of nearing wing beats come from above. As soon as Aithusa had landed she gave no one any chance to speak as she coiled her body around herself and wrapped her wings around the top half of her body, cutting her off from Morgana and the others.

"Aithusa?" Morgana asked with worry in her voice. Either Aithusa ignored Morgana's call or didn't hear her for the young Dragon ignored her call. When Morgana went to place a comforting hand on Aithusa's shoulder she pulled away instantly causing Morgana to recoil with worry.

"Aithusa what's wrong?" Morgana asked again trying to get the Dragon to respond. It had been years since she had heard her speak and she worried that it was temporary and only in that outburst that she was able to shriek "father", fortunately her worries were removed when she heard Aithusa's muffled voice come from beneath her wings.

"He made me leave," Aithusa cried hoarsely, Morgana wasn't sure but she thought she heard Aithusa crying.

"Who made you leave?" Morgana asked, trying to coax more out of Aithusa. Aithusa opened up her wings to reveal her teary eyed stare that seemed to pierce Morgana's heart.

"Father, I found him underneath the castle in the chains that Kilgharrah told me about. I couldn't free him and he yelled at me to leave." Aithusa then let out wails which were the equivalence of a child crying. While Morgana tried her best to comfort Aithusa Gaius seemed more shocked about what Aithusa had said.

"Wait, Merlin was restrained _by_ the chains?" Gaius asked with worry obvious in his voice. When Aithusa nodded at Gaius's question he cursed loudly and began pacing around the hiding spot.

"What's the matter?" Morgana asked to Gaius while still trying to calm Aithusa down. Gaius stopped pacing and turned to face Morgana.

"The chains used to restrain Merlin were the same to hold the Great Dragon for over 20 years. Dragons are extremely resilient but I have no doubt that the Dragon was weakened in his imprisonment. A mortal warlock like Merlin, no matter how powerful, won't last the end of the week before the chains kill him." As Morgana stared agape at Gaius shocked at what he said Aithusa let out another ear splitting shriek as she cried back into her side.

"Well there must be some way to free him, the Dragon broke out didn't he?"

"No, Merlin freed him and it took quite a bit of effort. I don't know where Uther got those chains from but I could tell by the markings on them that they were meant to hold creatures of magic, and stronger forces still though I fear how powerful the creature they could hold." Gaius explained.

"Well how did Merlin free him?" Morgana asked impatiently.

"He told me that he used a blade used by a Knight of Medhir along with a powerful spell used by both him and the Dragon, but I doubt that'd work now. After the Dragon left Camelot for good Merlin said that he took the remaining swords to have them destroyed, so that if anything else ever needed to be imprisoned there'd be no way for it to escape."

"Well he probably regrets _that _choice now," Morgana snarled sarcastically. As the two tried to think of a solution they soon heard the sound of guards approaching. Remaining silent until they were sure the knights had gone Gaius turned back to Morgana and whispered frantically,

"We need a plan if were to get Merlin out of those chains."

"Do you have a plan?" Morgana asked hopefully.

"No, those chains are so mysterious it's not even known what it's made out of. At least if we knew that it'd give us an idea how to break the chains." Suddenly an idea crossed through Morgana's mind, it was a crazy idea, but it was the only idea she had.

"The Euchdag," Morgana said immediately afterwards.

"The what?" Gaius asked hastily.

"That doesn't matter, what matters is that it has the Diamair: the key to all knowledge! I just need to find it again and have it tell me what we need to know."

"How do you know it'll help you? You did look for it with the aid of unwilling soldiers almost 2 years ago," Gaius reminded.

"Well unless you have a better idea it's the only one we've got!" Morgana snapped. Gaius sighed in defeat nodding in agreement that it was the best chance they had, even Aithusa had stopped crying long enough to listen to their conversation.

"How will you get there, it would take you weeks at least to ride there and you don't even have a horse," Gaius said pointedly.

"I'll take her," Aithusa blurted instantly. Gaius and Morgana turned to face Aithusa who had now gotten up from her crouched position and was standing tall over the two humans.

"Are you sure you can handle it?" Morgana asked, not even willing to question her if she was strong enough. Aithusa nodded enthusiastically as she breathed a stream of smoke from her nostrils.

"Yes, I'm bigger and stronger now and can carry you safely; it'll be way faster than riding a horse." Aithusa promised.

"Well what are we going to do with him?" Gaius asked pointing a thumb back at Gorat. The Golem had been silent since Aithusa flew away to Merlin.

"I go to find friend," Gorat said calmly looking down at Morgana.

"But that's crazy, the guards will see you," Morgana warned.

"So?" Gorat asked confused. "No problem for me, friend will need someone there for him."

"Do you even know where the cave is?" Morgana asked quizzically. Gorat didn't say anything but he gave a slight nod, hopefully signaling that he did know where it was. Seeing nothing better to do Morgana turned back to Gaius.

"Well I guess that is the best place to hide him anyways," she said doubting her words slightly.

"Indeed, I'll return to Camelot and see how the situation there is. Hopefully we will be able to smuggle Merlin out of Camelot without any trouble." The group said their good byes before paring ways, Gaius headed back towards the direction to Camelot while Gorat walked off toward what Morgana hoped was the way to the cavern Merlin was held in. Morgana than carefully climbed atop of Aithusa's back. She was right, she was significantly bigger since the last time she had tried flying with Morgana, she was easily twice as wide as any horse and twice as long and tall as one. As Morgana positioned herself she grabbed on to two of the spikes growing out of Aithusa's back and squeezed her body with her knees.

"Are you sure you can do this?" Morgana asked warily as Aithusa raised her wings.

"Do we have any other choice?" Aithusa asked warily.

_Good Point,_ Morgana thought reluctantly. As Aithusa waited for Morgana to give her the ok Morgana nodded when she was finally ready. With a single bound Aithusa had leapt into the air and was climbing higher into the sky with each flap of her wings. The ascend up was choppy and bumpy and Morgana held onto Aithusa with an iron clad death grip worried that she would fall an ultimately fall to her death, Morgana closed her eyes hoping that it would make the climb easier but it seemed to only make her feel claustrophobic. Suddenly the ragged wing beats stopped and the roughness of the flight had ended, everything seemed still except for the wind blowing into Morgana's face. Morgana slowly opened her eyes to see that they had flown high above the clouds and were now gliding above the clouds at a fast and steady pace. As they glide Morgana can't help but feel a sense of freedom, being in the sky with nothing to hold her back, she understood how Aithusa felt always wanting to fly and she couldn't begin to imagine the pain the Dragon who had been trapped beneath Camelot had felt being unable to fly or even see the sky.

The two flew in silence for what seemed a life time since they had climbed above the clouds, Morgana asked Aithusa how long the flight would take, worried they wouldn't be able to make it in time back to Camelot.

"At the speed were going we will reach the fortress late tomorrow," Aithusa declared.

"Will we be able to make it back to Camelot in time?" Aithusa didn't answer, taking the moment to increase her speed drastically. As the two continued to fly Morgana couldn't help but realize how tired she was, Aithusa had tried to convince her to sleep but Morgana was to terrified of falling off in her sleep.

"I'll catch you if you fall off," Aithusa assured her stubbornly. "It's not like I'd let you fall and die." Not exactly comforted by Aithusa's choice of words Morgana realized that she was extremely tired and this was as good a time as any to try and get some sleep. She was awoken seemingly immediately after by a draft of freezing cold air and a strong current that made Aithusa stagger in the air.

"What happened?" Morgana asked worriedly.

"We're closing in on the fortress, I'm going to land by the tunnel's entrance," Morgana noticed that Aithusa was panting heavily as she began lowering herself towards the ground.

"Are you all right?" Morgana asked concerned.

"I'm… fine," Aithusa assured weakly. As they landed the moment that Aithusa touched the ground she nearly collapsed onto the ground. When Morgana looked down at her and prepared to offer healing Aithusa said hurriedly,

"I'm fine, just tired. Hurry and find the Euchdag so we can leave. I'll follow you in after I rest for a minute." Not sure if Aithusa was telling the truth about her condition Morgana nodded and slid off of the Dragon from her leg and ran into the caverns. Once she was met by the darkness she cast a ball of light to hover at her shoulder as she progressed deeper into the mines of the cavern. Morgana searched and searched, not relenting a bit in her search for the creature in possession of the Diamair, when suddenly she tripped on a rock and landed on her face. As she struggled to her knees she felt angry, but her anger was soon replaced with sadness when she began to cry silently on the ground.

_Why is it I'm unable to help anyone properly? First Morgause, then Aithusa and now Merlin, I don't deserve those two. They could do so much better than to befriend a shamed High Priestess._

As Morgana continued crying silently into the ground she could see a glow coming from the outside of her eyelids, when she opened her eyes she nearly cried out in joy at seeing the Euchdag before her with her blue tinted glow.

"You have no idea how happy I am to see you," Morgana admitted as she got up off of the ground to stand before the Euchdag. The creature smiled at the corner of its mouth and said simply,

"Trust me, I know"

"I need your help, Merlin is in trouble," Morgana began before being stopped by the Euchdag.

"I know, he be trapped in Camelot's caves where the Dragon Kilgharrah had been trapped."

"So you know what it is I need then?" Morgana asked excitedly.

"I do," it said calmly.

"Please tell me, I'll do anything you wish of me, pay any price just tell me what I need to know."

"Will you now?" the Euchdag said interestedly. "You be willing to pay any price?"

"Yes," Morgana answered immediately, and she meant it. Whatever price the creature wanted she would pay without hesitation, even if it meant her life.

"I will ask you a question Morgana Pendragon, knowledge for knowledge. If I do not like your answer I will not give you my answers, but if your answers please me I will tell you what you wish to know."

"Very well I agree to your terms," Morgana said impatiently. The Euchdag nodded as she stared Morgana in the eyes for a few moments doing who knows what, when the creature finally nodded and asked,

"Why do you deserve to know how to save Emrys?" The question surprised Morgana as she stared back at the creature with a look of confusion.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"For years you have done evil to the world in attempts to grasp at power that not be rightfully yours, have also on numerous occasions wanted to kill Emrys. Why do you deserve to know how to save him?" Morgana thought the question through when the realization had hit her.

"I don't deserve to know," she said in a solemn whisper. The Euchdag nodded in reply causing tears to begin to stream from Morgana's face.

"That be right," the Euchdag said as it began to turn away from Morgana. When Morgana realized the creature was about to leave she called out desperately to it.

"Wait!" she cried. The Euchdag stopped and turned around to look at Morgana again. Morgana cleared her throat but when she spoke she was still unable to keep the obvious sobbing out of her voice.

"I know that I've been a terrible person, I know I tried to steal the crown from my brother and was responsible for his death, I know that I've done horrible things to people in the past." She stopped and looked directly in the Euchdag's eyes.

"But the one thing I do know is that after everything I've ever done to Merlin over the years he forgave, and unlike me he has never done anything to harm another being that didn't deserve it. If you don't want to help me then help Merlin." The Euchdag and Morgana stared each other down for a few more moments when the Euchdag finally smiled nodding.

"A good answer," The Euchdag said approvingly. "What do you wish to know?"


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27: Yggdrasill, The World Tree

"How do I destroy the chains restraining Merlin?" Morgana asked in a rush. She wasn't sure how long the flight to the fortress had taken but she knew that Merlin's time was running short.

"The chains were forged many eons ago by a Greater Demon, its name was forgotten long ago; but the chains were made of the most powerful metal on either side of the veil: Stygian Iron. The only way to destroy it is to use the same metal against it."

"Great so where can I find some of this iron? Is there any nearby?" Morgana asked.

"No, there are no longer any traces of the iron in the mortal realm. Aside from the chains, Emrys destroyed the remaining pieces with the aid of the Dragon Kilgharrah."

"What were the other pieces?" Morgana asked.

"The swords of the Knights of Medhir," the Euchdag replied. Morgana cursed at her luck as she tried to think of another way to free Merlin.

"Can the iron be forged?" she asked hopefully.

"Not by mortal hands, only those from across the veil can forge the metal and few are ever willing to."

"Well can I go into the veil and look?"

No," The Euchdag replied instantly. "Aside from you going to the veil being suicidal time does not flow the same there as it does here. You could leave for merely a few minutes and be gone for centuries."

"Well how am I supposed to break Merlin out then? Wait, what about a sword forged in a Dragon's breath? Surely that could destroy the chains," Morgana hoped desperately as her mind thought back to Clarent who was at Mordred's grave at the site of the last battle.

"If all it took was a Dragon's fire to break the chains then Kilgharrah could have escaped imprisonment early on, as could have Merlin." Morgana began losing her temper as she felt hot angry tears begin to form at the corners of her eyes.

"For someone with access to the key of all knowledge you're not giving me a lot of information! I've been shouting ideas off but let me hear your idea 'Bearer of all Knowledge', how do we save Merlin from his death?" The Euchdag stared at Morgana coldly and for a moment Morgana feared she had gone too far and had insulted the Euchdag. Before Morgana had the chance to apologize the Euchdag gave a reply to Morgana that hurt more than any enchanted blade through the stomach.

"I do not know how to save him," she rasped sadly. Morgana felt her body go cold and somehow found herself on her knees looking up at the Euchdag. She could tell that the creature was deeply upset about being unable to help but at that moment Morgana couldn't contain herself.

"You don't know how to save him," she wept quietly. Suddenly with an angry snarl and a flash of her eyes Morgana thrust out her hand slamming the Euchdag into a wall, Morgana held her there as she stood up yelling in a blood curdling snarl,

"HOW DO YOU NOT KNOW HOW TO SAVE HIM?!"

"Morgana stop!" she heard from behind her. She turned to see Aithusa slowly making her way towards the two. Morgana looked back at the Euchdag and with a disgusted snarl dropped the creature to the ground where it slumped to the ground with a low moan. Aithusa hobbled over to the Euchdag and breathed into it, when it looked up at the Dragon it gave its thanks to Aithusa before looking back up to Morgana apologetically.

"I do not say or do this to be cruel Morgana," the Euchdag said in a weak tone as she slowly rose from the ground.

"My knowledge of beyond the veil is not as extensive as it is in the mortal realm. I know only what knowledge has been brought into this world over time."

"If you are unable to aid me than give me the name of someone who can," Morgana said coldly as she looked down at the Euchdag. As it put its hand on the wall of the cave to help balance herself as she stood a look of epiphany appeared on the Euchdag's face. She turned to Morgana with a stare that scared the High Priestess slightly.

"I may know of one who will be able to help you Morgana Pendragon, but the journey there in itself could kill you well before you even reach him."

"Tell me where and who this person is and I will decide whether it is too dangerous," Morgana demanded coldly. She had come this far in her attempts to save Merlin, she would do whatever needed to be done to free him from the caves of Camelot. The Euchdag nodded as it waved its hand creating the essence of a blue tree.

"There is a place, untouched by those without magic, where the veil is extremely thin and only those with magic can survive. Here, creatures long though extinct still roam the earth. There you will find the oldest symbol of power of the Old Religion: Yggdrasill, The World Tree." Morgana's heart froze at hearing the name of the ancient tree. Morgause had taught Morgana of the tree, how it was once the center of the Old Religion before its power became too unstable and the High Priests and Priestesses of that era were forced to flee; they were able to bring only saplings, whose powers were trifling in comparison to the great tree. One of those very saplings had been planted on the Isle of the Blessed centuries ago and was used as the new meeting grounds for the Old Religion.

"By your expression, I can tell you've heard of it," the Euchdag said grimly. Shaking out of her daze Morgana said neutrally,

"I know the old stories, but what does this have to do with anything? Those lands have been abandoned for centuries."

"Longer than that, this was before the veil separated the two worlds. Spirits and demons at this time were able to cross to the mortal world freely from their world for whatever reasons, but the spirits never did. Their world is perfect to them and they had no reason to leave. The demons however loved the mortal world, humans were easy for them to manipulate and coerce, and many managed to convince them that they were gods and were worshipped."

"So what went wrong?" Morgana asked, losing some of the edge in her voice.

"The humans grew smarter and the demons grew greedier. A combination that would inevitably shake the world. When the demons began killing the humans for… amusement let's say, the mages grew angered by the demons lack of care for their species and made plans to trap them in their own world."

"Surely such a feat would require the aid of the spirits?" Morgana questioned.

"Indeed, but instead they received the help from a Greater Demon. In exchange for his aid the demon requested that he be permitted to stay in the mortal realm. So with his aid the humans managed to trick the demons back to their world and raised the veil. Preventing them, for the time, from ever crossing into their world again."

"Until they began summoning demons," Morgana said coldly.

"Yes, but that would not happen for centuries to come."

"Yes, well, as interesting as the history lesson is I have yet to hear the point of where I find the man who can help me."

"But I've told you already," The Euchdag said coyly. "Your aid is the Greater Demon that helped create the veil." Morgana was shocked at the Euchdag's statement and stared at it unable to speak, fortunately Aithusa managed to speak up.

"Can demons live for that long?" the Dragon asked nervously.

"A demon can survive until they are killed, Greater Demons however can never be truly killed. If slain they will simply be reborn centuries later across the veil. It is however possible to trap them."

"How?" Morgana demanded.

"May I continue with the history lesson?" The Euchdag asked but the tone of ice in her voice was obvious. When Morgana nodded the Euchdag continued its tale.

"Once the veil had been risen the first of the High Priests and Priestesses planned a way to trap the Greater Demon that still remained in their world. While it didn't bother them they feared it would one day try to rule them."

"Were they right?" Morgana asked.

"No, the Greater Demon never had had any intention of ruling the humans. He was content on living away from them in his own domain in the mortal world, but he was tricked by the humans and was evidently captured."

"But how?" Morgana demanded. "How could they capture a creature of pure energy?"

"By using the World Tree as a prison." As Morgana was once again stunned into silence Aithusa spoke up.

"They used the tree as a conduit to power their spell!" the Dragon exclaimed excitedly. The Euchdag nodded.

"Yes, the Greater Demon was trapped beneath the World Tree, its roots used as the bars to its prison. But as the years went by the Greater Demon's power began to leak from the prison and he managed to cause pain and turmoil to those around him, mostly by weakening the veil significantly in the area. For their safety they had to flee the Yggdrasill, never to return to the very land that made them powerful."

"So this demon has been trapped beneath the Yggdrasill with a large grudge against humans, why would he help me?"

"It entertains him," When the Euchdag saw Morgana's expression it did it's best to explain.

"Mortals have journeyed to the World Tree before to speak to the Greater Demon for their own purposes before, it speaks to them in hopes that they will slip up so he can kill them."

"What do you mean slip up?" Morgana asked.

"The Greater Demon cannot kill another living creature while it is beneath the Yggdrasill, which was part on the incantation used in trapping it. But after years of leaking its power from the tree it has managed to make… adjustments to the spell. While he cannot escape he created a loop hole in being unable to kill others in his prison. He is not allowed to kill anything while trapped under the Yggdrasill so long as those who enter show no emotion. The minute they do is their last minute on earth." Morgana looked at Aithusa and she could tell that the Dragon wasn't exactly crazy about the idea, and besides there were still far too many loose ends that Morgana couldn't piece together.

"While I admit that this idea is indeed… well it's completely suicidal! And even if it wasn't the Yggdrasill and the land around it has been lost for eons as you've said. How would we be able to reach it in less than a day?"

"Magic," the Euchdag said simply. With a wave of its hand the dark pendant in Morgana's pocket rose to eye level with a blue hue surrounding it.

"Before their eminent escape from the Yggdrasill the High Priests invented a spell that would allow them to return to their lands if travel or war forced them far away from their home. As a High Priestess you will be able to use the spell and while wearing this pendant you will be able to remain hidden from the thralls of the Greater Demon."

"You mean other demons are around the tree?" Morgana asked uneasily.

"No, creatures that have been feeding off of the demon's energies. Hell Hounds for example." The Euchdag explained.

"Great because it didn't take a Dragon and the two most powerful sorcerers in the world to kill one," Morgana said sarcastically as she grabbed the pendant floating before her and put it around her neck. She immediately felt the dark, cold power course through her body, waiting to be commanded.

"Will Aithusa be able to come with me?" Morgana asked looking back at the Dragon. The Euchdag hesitated for a moment before answering.

"Yes, but the pendant will not protect her as it would you, it would be best if you alone travel to the Yggdrasill," Morgana was about to protest when Aithusa spoke up once again.

"It's alright, I'll meet you back at the entrance to the cave father is trapped in. Be safe Morgana." Morgana hugged Aithusa's head for a brief moment before Aithusa began heading back towards the exit of the cave. As she left The Euchdag told Morgana the spell that would allow her to open a power to the World Tree.

"Remember, when you reach him show no emotion. The minute you do will give the Greater Demon all it needs to kill you." Morgana nodded as she looked guiltily at the Euchdag.

"I'm sorry for my behavior, I should have controlled myself."

"You acted the way you did for love, not anger Morgana Pendragon. I forgive you." As Morgana nodded in thanks the Euchdag said one more thing before disappearing.

"I have spent too long in these caverns, I must go to find a new place to hide from those that would misuse the Diamir. You will never see me again Morgana, but know that help will always be available to those who look for it." Before Morgana could ask what it meant a flash of blue light filled the cave blinding Morgana. When the light disappeared Morgana was left in darkness hearing and seeing nothing. Morgana closed her eyes and took in a deep breath; she was terrified out of her mind at what she was about to do, but she was more worried about what would happen to Merlin if she didn't do it. Opening her eyes Morgana raised her hand and recited the incantation the Euchdag had taught her. Before her eyes a purple light appeared before her rotating in a circular pattern before her, as Morgana stepped towards the portal she hesitantly put her hand into the portal. It felt cool to the touch and as she pulled her hand out she was glad to see she was unharmed. With a deep breath Morgana walked straight into the portal, unsure of what she would find on the other side

AN: Tell me what you guys think about this, and in case anyone is curious the story of a creature under the world tree wasn't entirely my idea. It is an old Norse legend concerning the Yggdrasill. Tell me if you think I over did it but please review regardless. Will have the next chapter up ASAP, so until then.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28: Dealings with Demons

When Morgana exited on the other side of the portal she didn't know what to expect, but the minute she stepped out of the portal she was in awe by the sight. While there was a dense fog floating around the forested area looked old and untouched for thousands of years. The trees around her all seemed to touch the sky as they surpassed the clouds, the sky's yellowish hue empathized on the age of the area. As Morgana was in awe of the scenery she yelled and jumped in shock as a rip in the air seemed to come out of nowhere, from it a tentacled arm reached towards her. From the other side of the rip she could hear the sound of a diluted shout yelling,

"_Summon me! I can gives you powers beyond belief!"_ Morgana scowled at the rip and angrily released a burst of dark fire into the rip causing the tentacled arm to recoil in pain along with shouts coming from the other side. On closer inspection Morgana realized that it wasn't mist floating in the air, it was the veil being solidified by the amount of magic flowing in the area. While the veil was visible it was obviously greatly weakened for a demon to reach its arm out for her, she was also angry for herself for jumping at the sight of a minor demon. If she was going to deal with a Greater Demon, one of the most powerful entities in existence she would need to be able to control her emotions. If she got surprised from a lesser demon what chance would she have against the Greater Demon? She took a deep breath and advanced through the forest in the direction she hoped the Yggdrasill was. As she continued walking she noticed that the veil was opening rips around her as random demonic body parts began reaching out towards her.

She kept her calm however and progressed through the forest stopping only to magically singe any demons that got too close to her. Unfortunately by the time that she saw the Yggdrasill it was almost too dark to see anymore, she made camp at the foot of a tree with the Yggdrasill in front of her for the next day's journey. She knew that the tree ahead of her was the Yggdrasill because it was ten time larger than any of the other trees in length and width, and if that in itself wasn't enough she could both see and feel the tendrils of dark power coming from the roots of the tree. Morgana had a feeling that the roots were much larger than they seemed, for there was only a brief view of the roots and the size of them did not seem to match that of the tree, and strangely enough the tree was pure white despite the dark tendril of power leaking from beneath. Not willing to worry about that now Morgana sets a number of protective spells around her makeshift camp, along with a small fire, and tries to force herself to get some sleep. She was restless and had too much on her mind, even with the aid of her healing bracelet she knew that sleep would not come easily to her tonight. Merlin was the main thing on her mind; she knew that Gorat and Gaius were probably doing what they could to help ease Merlin's pain but she worried that she wouldn't be able to save him in time.

_No,_ she thought to herself. _I can't think like that, I will save Merlin if I have to kill the Greater Demon to do it._ She finally managed to force herself to fall asleep and woke up seemingly moments later. The sun was barely rising over the horizon but Morgana decided to start her journey anyway, time was not her friend this day and Merlin had already been restrained for 2 days at least, unless Gaius gave him something to surpass the pain Merlin wouldn't be able to last much longer. She walked quickly towards the tree and as she approached she could feel the sheer energy emanating off of the tree, never in her life had Morgana felt such pure energy before. However she could also feel the weaves in the imprisonment spell used to hold its prisoner, the spell was more complex than anything Morgana could ever accomplish and even at that she could feel power not from the tree leaking steadily from it. If the Euchdag was correct, it was most likely coming from the Greater Demon. Morgana walked along the base of the trunk until she found a set of stone stairs that seemed to continue to the deeper level of the tree, and hopefully the majority of the roots. Morgana went down the stairs that ended up spiraling and looping and at some times making it feel like she was going in an intricate circle, but she continued on without a doubt in her mind.

After what seemed like hours Morgana reached the bottom of the stairs, and the stairs ended at a small doorway that easily lead to the roots of the tree. Now that Morgana was farther down the trunk she could tell how long the roots stretched, they alone were at least double the size of the Citadel in Camelot, and that wasn't even counting the layers underground. Morgana stood at the small doorway for a moment, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath.

"This is it," she said to herself. "Show no emotion," she warned herself as she walked calmly through the doorway. The minute she entered the doorway beneath the roots of the tree Morgana felt the temperature drop immediately to a near freezing temperature. She took a moment for her body to adjust to the drop (while casting a few minor spells to maintain her natural body heat) and continued in the dark depth that was within the roots of the Yggdrasill. It soon became so dark that Morgana was forced to summon a ball of light to follow her around just so she could see the area around her. As she progressed she couldn't help but feel that she was being watched, and judging on where she was currently she didn't doubt it for a minute. She continued walking until she stepped on something that made her stumble. She looked down and was shocked (though she did not show it) to see that the ground was made up almost entirely of skeletons and corpses, as she looked beneath her feet she noticed that she had been walking, up to that point, on a floor of skeletal remains. Upon closer observation she realized that she had been tripped by a flesh covered hand connected to a skeleton arm sticking up from the ground. As she backed away slowly as to avoid hitting it again she turned around to come face to face with the largest monster she had ever seen before, it took all her strength and focus not to let out a scream of fear or to show emotion of any kind.

"_**Well, it seems that someone has come to my lair to amuse me."**_ The creature said coyly. The creature had a pale, human looking face that stood inches away from Morgana's. The face was the same size as most human faces but the rest of its body sent chills down Morgana's body. The face was connected by a massive Centipede like body that, upon closer observation, seemed to wrap around the entire area above Morgana along with intertwined between several of the inner roots. There were eight large pincer like growths that were above and beneath the creatures face; Morgana guessed they were normally used to keep a firm grip on massive prey, and while the other demons she had met, mostly Marion, sounded as if they had two voices speaking at once, this one had an obviously deep sounding male's voice. The Creature terrified Morgana and she believed that it knew that due to the menacing smile on its face.

"_**Tell me, who, after centuries of solitude, has come to my encasing prison to pay me a visit?**_" The Demon asked as it moved its face away from Morgana's and moved in a circle around her, as if to get a look at her entire form. Without breaking form or face Morgana said calmly and strongly,

"I am Morgana Pendragon, High Priestess of the Old Religion."

"_**Ahh a High Priestess are you? I must say that for the most part my visitors are mostly men or High Priests, but rarely do I get such a lovely guest,**_" It said almost in a complimentary form. Morgana felt her face flinch but didn't give away towards her emotions; she knew the demon was trying to get a reaction out of her. She had to resist. The demon's breath smelt of rotting flesh as it surrounded the entire area around Morgana, she could feel her eyes tearing from the smell but she made no movement of emotion on her face.

"_**So, Morgana Pendragon High Priestess of the Old Religion, to what do I owe this unannounced visit? Had I known I'd be having company I would have cleared away some of the corpses.**_"

"I have come to request aid of you," Morgana answered plainly, the demon tsked as it turned its face away from Morgana and climbed up the other layers of the roots.

"_**Tsk Tsk, you come claiming you need aid but you don't even ask my name, such rudeness in humans these days,**_" The demon said in mock offense as it crawled out of Morgana's line of sight. Although she couldn't see it she could hear it slithering above her, probably planning to surprise her by appearing out of nowhere.

"Forgive me," Morgana said in a neutral tone. "Would you please tell me your name?" Morgana asked.

"_**Much better,**_" the demon complimented._** "I have been around for countless eons. Even before your kind imprisoned me I was old, and called by many names. You may call me what the others have called me though. My name in your tongue is translated to Roku,"**_ Suddenly Roku shot its front body at Morgana, Morgana took a step back and nearly recoiled when she saw that the creatures face had changed to that of a black Dragon, matching the color of its centipede colored body. Its head was inches from Morgana's face but did nothing to harm her, waiting for a reaction of any kind. When he did not receive one it pulled away, its face seemed to blink as it reverted back to the pale human looking face from earlier, it had a knowing smile on its face that made Morgana want to scream in horror.

"_**Your terrified by me aren't you?**_" Roku asked. "_**I can tell that you have had the fortune to meet and control a number of dark, powerful creatures. But never have you met one as old and threatening as me, have you?**_"

"How you make me feel is unimportant," Morgana said plainly, sweat beginning to form at her brow. "What is important is the aid I have come to ask of you."

"_**Of course,**_" Roku said in mock kindness as it wrapped its body as close around Morgana as it could without physically touching her. "_**Tell your Uncle Roku what's troubling you,**_" Morgana had to stifle and stiffen to show no emotion, but it grew harder and harder as the demon spoke and advanced on her.

"How do I know you won't lie to me?" Morgana asked, a small shake escaping through her voice, Roku must have noticed it for he wrapped his coils tighter together nearly touching Morgana's figure.

"_**You don't trust me?"**_ Roku asked sounding genuinely hurt. "_**I guess seeing who you're dealing with; I can't really blame you, so why don't we play a game?"**_

"A game?" Morgana asked quickly.

"_**Oh yes, are you familiar with the spell of extended truths?**_" When Morgana didn't deny the question Roku continued. "_**Here's how you play, for every question you ask and I answer truthfully I get to ask you one where you must do the same. But if either of us lies, we will be injured gravely. Do we have a deal?"**_

"Only if I cast the spell and you release me for the duration," Morgana countered.

"_**Deal,**_" Roku responded sounding disappointed as he unwrapped himself from around Morgana. She could feel her body shiver from the contact they had almost shared but Morgana took a deep breath before she uttered the spell, as she did both she and Roku glowed a slight green color signifying that the spell had activated.

"_**Ladies first,**_" Roku offered generously.

"How do I know my spell will have any effect on you?" Morgana asked quickly, focusing on not showing any emotion Roku's pale face smiled as he circled around Morgana like a snake surrounding its prey.

"_**Clever girl, your spell will have worked because I allowed it to. Even though I am imprisoned beneath the Yggdrasill I am still strong enough to resist the enchantment's of lesser beings, however if I allow them to work then they will,"**_

"So you could be lying to me now then,"__Morgana said pointedly.

"_**I am,"**_ Roku said before he froze and shook slightly. Morgana focused her light on the coil of Roku's body that shook and saw black blood drip from the body before turning to smoke after hitting the ground.

"_**I'm sure that answers that question than, my turn then. How is it that you managed to learn about me?**_" Roku asked as he circled his lower body around Morgana while his face remained glued to hers.

"Someone with access to the Diamir told me about you when I asked it for help, not knowing enough to help me it sent me to you." Roku smiled slightly before frowning, obviously expecting Morgana to have lied.

"_**Even though you aren't lying, you're wrong. The creature you met was the Diamir, a Euchdag if I'm not mistaken. A creature created by the Priestesses of old to give them infinite knowledge of their world; unfortunately they didn't expect it to learn that they'd misuse its power for selfish reasons and escaped back to its own kind.**_"

"That is… interesting," Morgana said calmly, silently angry that the Euchdag had lied to her about the diamir.

"_**Your turn Priestess,**_" Roku said pointedly.

"I need you to tell me about Stygian Iron," Morgana said, collecting some of her calm.

"_**That is not a question Morgana, that is a statement,**_" Roku said sounding slightly disappointed. "_**Ask me a question about the Iron,**_"

"Fine, what is the Stygian Iron made of?" Morgana demanded as ice crept into her neutral expression. Roku smiled menacingly at noticing the slip of voice as he shifted his coils that remained in the top of the roots.

"_**The Stygian Iron is a metal powerful enough to restrain and torment powerful creatures of magic, but you already know that. Let me see… ahh yes, that's right, the iron is made with a combination of the Greater Demon's blood that forged it along with iron found only beyond the veil. Once the metal is forged and combined with the blood it is cooled in the river Styx, the river of death.**_" Morgana was about to ask another question when she nearly backed into Roku's coils, she turned around and noticed that he had laid a number of them out behind her, apparently in the hopes to scare her. When she turned back to Roku she gestured for him to proceed.

"_**My turn is it? Very well, let me see… Why are you interested in Stygian Iron, even with the aid of the Diamir you would know very little about it.**_"

"Someone I know is being restrained by chains made of Stygian Iron, since Dragon fire doesn't seem to affect the chains and the other remains of the iron were destroyed somehow we need another way to destroy them." She explained calmly.

"**Assuming that he's mortal he's probably dead by now,**" Roku said absent mindedly, as if the matter didn't interest him. However he could sense the inner turmoil coming off of Morgana as he said it and felt that his chance to strike was approaching.

"You don't know that," Morgana defended, her voice near to trembling as her expression remained calm.

"_**Oh, Have I struck a nerve? Forget I said anything, please ask your question.**_" Roku taunted. Morgana closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. _Concentrate,_ she said to herself._ He's baiting you, Merlin is fine. _ When she opened her eyes she inwardly cursed herself for Roku had vanished from her sight. Knowing he was somewhere she kept her eyes peeled and asked her next question.

"Is it possible to open the chains without needing to destroy them?" she asked.

"_**Why what an excellent question, yes it is possible to open them without them being destroyed,**_"

"How?" Morgana demanded a little too quickly, Roku smiled a venomous smile as he lowered his face from the upper rafters and said simply, "_**The chains open when the one they are confining dies.**_" At feeling Morgana's anguish Roku laughed manically as he circled above her.

"_**And if I'm not mistaken, you asked me two questions just then didn't you? It's only fair that I return the favor**_," Morgana cursed at herself again as Roku moved his coils on the ground closer to Morgana as he brought his face down close to hers.

"_**What is your relationship with the one restrained by the chains?**_" Morgana froze at the intimate question and turned away as to not need to look at Roku.

"That's personal," Morgana insisted, not wanting to have to explain herself to a Greater Demon.

"_**That is why I asked the question silly girl, now answer it.**_" Roku almost demanded. Morgana took a few moments to compose her for the answer before finally saying in a calm, slightly trembling voice,

"He is someone, very special to me. Someone that I do not wish to lose." She looked up at Roku and saw his expression of mock sympathy that enraged Morgana; she had to struggle not to yell at him or launch a volley of dark fire at him. Would it even hurt him? She snapped out of her train of thought as she gestured for Roku to ask his next question.

"_**What's his name?**_" he asked simply. She was about to say Merlin's name when an idea crept into her mind, maybe the name he was given in prophecy would make him more willing to help him.

"The name the Druids have always referred to him is Emrys," Roku's eyes widened at the name and instead of the reaction she expected she was caught off guard by a series of manic laughter. She felt herself sweat under the pressure of not reacting but the way he laughed sent chills throughout her body. As Roku continued laughing he finally calmed down enough to speak again.

"_**Emrys, oh Morgana you've just made an old demon's eon. HAHAHAHAHAHA, oh you have no idea how funny this is.**_"

"It isn't funny at all," Morgana stated as she tried to control herself from shaking.

"_**Oh but it is Priestess, here a free bit of knowledge that even your Diamir won't know. Your Emrys, he's a Dragon Lord yes? The last one after his father if I'm not mistaken. Did you never wonder where the power to control Dragon's came from?**_" He waited for Morgana to slip and ask another question, but he was having too much fun ranting and continued the explanation anyways. "_**Before my inevitable imprisonment I spent the century I had free in the mortal realm I spent my time creating the Dragon Lords and Dragons,**_" to emphasize his point his face blinked again to that of the black Dragon.

"_**I created the most powerful creatures of magic, those that could destroy even a Greater Demon if strong enough. Of course in creating creatures of extreme power there needed to be a way to communicate with them, they couldn't speak in the human tongue at the time you see, so I gifted several individuals who could understand the Dragon tongue as the first Dragon Lords. They couldn't control the Dragons at first, I never intended for that to happen or for their eggs to need a lord to hatch them. I guess that's how their evolution took them over, and now you come to tell me that your lover is the last of my creations?**_" Roku breaks out laughing again actually dropping his top part of his body to the ground unable to hold it up under the strain of laughter. Morgana felt the rage building up in her when Roku spoke again.

"_**I guess that means your lover is one of my great-great ancestors then doesn't it?**_ As he continued laughing Morgana had finally had enough, without showing any emotion but feeding her anger into her spell she sent a stream of dark fire at the laughing demon. Sensing the attack Roku avoided the blast effortlessly and looked expectantly at Morgana's face hoping for signs that she had cracked, at seeing she hadn't he looked at the pendant around her neck.

"_**All that power and no idea how to use it, oh Priestess. How humorous life is isn't it? That after eons of being trapped under this tree I am still able to affect the world so, and to think that the prophecy of the new world depends on my willingness to help you.**_"

"Prophecy? What prophecy?" Morgana demanded. Roku stared down at Morgana before answering, blinking back to his pale human face.

"_**You don't know? The Prophecy that determines the end of Albion and life in the Mortal world as you know it.**_"

AN: CLIFF HANGER! I know I'm mean, tell me what you guys thought of the chapter and I'll have the next one up ASAP, so until then.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29: The Dark Truth

"_**The Prophecy speaks of how the land of Albion may one day be destroyed by my brethren across the veil. The Prophecy foretells of the mighty Emrys fighting the scores of demons that cross the veil. While he and a source of former darkness, you I'm guessing Priestess, you hold off the demons as long as you can until suddenly a deciding battle takes place determining whether or not you will be able to save Albion. There's more to the Prophecy but telling you the rest would tamper with fate, and that is a power even I shan't mess with,**_"

"If it's up to us to fight off the demons than it's your duty to help me heal him, do you have no kinship for your creations?" Morgana asked neutrally.

"_**None what so ever,**_" Roku replied casually. "_**When I was imprisoned neither of my creations, the Dragons or the Dragon Lords, thought to help me. If the land of Albion is destroyed by demons the Yggdrasill may weaken enough for me to escape, that's the only thing I truly want.**_" Morgana began to act frantically seeing that Roku seemed to have very little interest in helping serve Merlin.

"What if there was a way for me to free you?" Morgana asked in desperate neutrality. Roku shot his head towards Morgana having his face only inches away from hers. A dark smile forming on his face as the smell of rotting flesh coursed from his breath.

"_**You would free a Greater Demon in the hopes that I **__**might**__** help you save your friend, you obviously have no idea the havoc one of my kind could wreak onto the world.**_"

"But if Albion is defeated and the mortal realm followed then you would be trapped in an empty world, does that truly sound appealing to you?" Morgana asked.

"_**Not particularly but it would be no different than the nothingness beyond the veil. At least if I'm freed after the world's destruction I could return to my realm and wait for a later generation, surely there will be more humans eventually your people are like rats, roaming the mortal world in a plenty oblivious to how large your world really is.**_" Morgana was getting severely aggravated with Roku and for the sake of not being killed turned to leave the roots of the tree. As she walked away to leave Roku's head appeared, blocking her from the door as he asked where she thought she was going.

"Well you obviously _can't_ help me, so I'm going to leave and try to save Emrys while I still have some time left." As Morgana walked past Roku's head to leave he wrapped his upper body around Morgana once before looking back into Morgana's eyes.

"_**What makes you think that I can't help you?**_" He asked with a seemed wounded pride.

"The fact that after all of my questions you have yet to be able to provide me the information I need leaves me to believe you can't help me."

"_**What if I told you there was a way to save Emrys?**_" Roku asked as Morgana had to fight back a smile; the Greater Demon was falling for her bait.

"I would have to assume that you're lying in the attempts to keep me here,"

"_**Oh but it is, and it's actually quite simple.**_" Roku insisted. After a few moments of Morgana pretending to consider Roku's words she finally said in her neutral tone,

"Fine, what's your plan?" Roku's coils began to move slowly around as he eyed Morgana again, explaining to her his plan to free Merlin.

"_**While the chains are generally indestructible, if another Greater Demon comes in contact with the chains then they can destroy the Stygian Iron so long as the Greater Demon who made them isn't more powerful than they are, and Azazel is old even among the Greater Demons. And I believe I am at least as powerful as him.**_"

"So you do want me to free you then?" Morgana said earning her a close to scowl stare from Roku.

"_**Was the offer taken off the table suddenly? Was your mission to me not to free Emrys no matter the cost?**_" Roku asked, it seemed that his patience was at the end of its length. Whether his confinement was getting the best of him or simply because Morgana hadn't displayed any emotion yet, she didn't know but knew that she had to act on the chance.

"What would I have to do?" she asked Roku lowered his coils to the ground and released a black stone approximately the size of a Dragon egg and eyed Morgana almost hopefully.

"_**While my Physical form is trapped in the Yggdrasill my corporeal form can reach out into the mortal world, I'm sure you've seen the dark tendrils. Take this 'egg' and use any spell you wish on it, it will absorb the spell and I will be able to help you free Emrys."**_

"And you will help him? Until he's safe and out of harm's way?" Morgana asked.

"_**Absolutely, now make sure you take the egg away from the tree otherwise it may not work correctly."**_ Not wanting to look at Roku anymore Morgana approached the egg and picked it up, it was surprisingly light but cold to the touch. Without looking back at Roku Morgana walked out of the rooted prison and walked out to the base of the tree, she immediately started moving her face in any way she could. The soreness from having no expression having been excruciatingly painful for her. Once her face was comfortable Raven walked back towards the forest on the path to the World Tree. When she felt a safe distance away she placed the egg down on the ground and cast a minor healing spell over the egg. Suddenly the egg began to rock violently back and forth as cracking sounds came from it, then out of nowhere the egg exploded as a cloud of black smoke radiated from it, as the smoke finally began to clear Morgana managed to see a figure form from within the smoke. As the smoke cleared there was a tall, surprisingly good looking, man about Morgana's age standing before her. He was extremely pale and wore an entire outfit of black that emphasized his paleness. When he opened his eyes his eyes were slits, just like Roku's and when they looked at her Morgana took a step back unsure of what she had unleashed. When the creature opened its mouth to speak Morgana was astonished to hear that it was Roku's voice coming from the boy.

"Well that went better than I had thought," the boy said calmly. "Now tell me, where is Emrys?"

AN: Hey sorry this chapter is so short I have exams this week and couldn't focus long enough to make it my usual length. I promise the next one will be longer and I will have the next chapter up ASAP. So until then.


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30: The Gift of Death

He wanted to die.

The pain was to excruciating for him, for two days Merlin had been restrained by the chains that held Kilgharrah and for two days he was met by nothing but excruciating pain. The mental image of Kilgharrah he had moments after Aithusa left had told him to give up. It was entirely unlike Kilgharrah to give him advice like that but feeling the pain he was in now, it didn't seem like a horrible idea anymore. Ever movement Merlin made sent the pain from the chain coursing through his body; the areas where the chains restrained him were creating wounds that caused him to bleed constantly. He was surprised that he hadn't died from blood loss already. Gorat had appeared some time ago and had been relentlessly trying to break the chains holding Merlin to no avail. He tried to comfort Merlin, to ease his friend's pain, but unfortunately the magic radiating from his body seemed to make the pain even more unbearable for Merlin. After Gorat's arrival no else arrived in his prison, he had hoped that Gaius would have stopped by to see him but he assumed that Gwen was keeping a close eye on him. As Merlin lay on the ground, blood endlessly pouring from his wounds, the warlock silently prayed that his death would come quickly; but for whatever reason he was kept alive. As if for the sick amusement of some all-powerful being.

Merlin cried out as another burst of pain shot through his body, it was unbearable. Suddenly from above him, Merlin heard a familiar dry laugh that increased the pain he felt.

"_Is she worth the pain Merlin?"_ he heard the voice of Kilgharrah ask. He looked up and saw the ghost of his deceased friend looking down at him from his old perch.

"_Would it not have been simpler to simply let her die all those years ago?"_

"She was… innocent," Merlin said weakly through the pain, his breaths staggering laboriously. For whatever reason Gorat wasn't reacting to Kilgharrah's silhouette, could he not see him?

"_Innocence is a matter of perspective Merlin,"_ Kilgharrah said cruelly as he examined his front claw. After a few moments of only the sound of Merlin's breath going through the cave Kilgharrah asked a question that surprised Merlin.

"_Do you wish to die Merlin?" _he asked with what he probably thought passed for sympathy. Merlin didn't answer, not having the necessary strength to do so.

"_I can end it for you, put you out of your misery and let you die. All I ask in return is that you tell me where Morgana is." _ Merlin, through an intense will of effort and struggle asked a single word,

"Why?"

"_I will do what you should have done all along Merlin, I will kill Morgana and that traitorous Dragon of hers, it is for the best."_ Kilgharrah insisted. As the Dragon talked Merlin couldn't help but feel that something was off about his friend, something that was just off. Suddenly it hit him. Using the last of his strength Merlin yelled something at Kilgharrah in the Dragon tongue, when all he did was stare absently at Merlin he knew that he was talking to a fake.

"I don't know who you are, but I'd rather rot here than tell you where she is," he declared angrily. The fake Dragon simply stared down at Merlin and said in a cold voice, "_So be it,"_ The Dragon's body disappeared into a purple flame, once it disappeared it left only Marion there in her demon form staring down at Merlin.

"_I offered you the chance to die painlessly Merlin, and you spit at my offer of kindness. Do not say that I never gave you the chance,"_ As Marion raised her hands above her head she was immediately met by a right hook coming from Gorat, apparently once she changed back to her form the Golem was able to see her.

"Demon leave friend alone!" he declared protectively as Marion recovered from the connection with the Golem's attack. She snarled angrily at Gorat as her hands went alight with dark fire.

"_You have been a thorn in my side for too long Golem, but my power has increased since out last meeting; and I am MUCH stronger now!"_ To prove her point she fired off her streams of dark fire at Gorat. He dodged the blasts effortlessly before retaliating with an attack of his own. The crystals on his back glowed a purple color as he sent a stream of lightning from his hands at Marion; unfortunately she was able to avoid them by leaping atop the boulders in the cave to get to higher ground. Before Marion had the chance to gain her footing as she touched down on the ground the ledge began to shake violently as Gorat slammed his fists into the wall repeatedly causing the ledge to fall from under her. Unfortunately she managed to float off the cliff before it fell resulting in her being unharmed.

"_You'll have to do better than that!" _ Marion taunted. Her sneer immediately disappeared when she saw the fallen part of the cliff flying at her.

"_Oh shi-" _She was interrupted by the large hunk of stone slamming into her and forcing her into the wall. While she was injured it was only enough to disorient her for a few moments. Gorat proceeded towards the unconscious Merlin as he tried to free his friend. He yanked and slammed on the chains in an attempt to break them but resulted in the same result as before: failure.

"Friend need to wake up now," Gorat said worriedly as he worked on the chains. "Friend needs to get to Just Jane," he said in a frantic hurry. Upon realizing that his pounding on the chains was useless a screech from Marion came from above. Looking around frantically Gorat noticed part of the chain being attached to the stone wall across from Merlin he rushed to the point and pulled with all his might to get the chain out of the wall. Fortunately for him the chain was removed easily while remaining undamaged. The Golem turned around to see that Marion was rushing down towards Merlin's body. Thinking fast Gorat threw the end of the chain at Marion, the minute it made contact the demon screeched in pain as she recoiled and flew off slightly. Black blood was falling from her arm where the chain had made contact and the possessed sorceress seemed deeply angered.

"_You will pay for that with your life Golem!" _Marion swore as she poured a fountain of dark fire towards Gorat. Gorat turned his back to the dark fire and acted as a shield protecting Merlin, while his Onyx hard body was enough to resist the constant onslaught of the demon's attack he knew he wouldn't last for long. Connecting the chain link together like a lasso Gorat threw the chain towards Marion and caught her arms in the loop. As he tightened the chain around her wrists the demon shrieked in pain due to being in contact with the ancient chains. Gorat then began swinging Marion into the walls of the cave each blow resulting in continued shouts of pain. Suddenly Marion caught herself in midair as she looked at her bleeding wrists and then back down at Gorat.

"_I WILL DESTROY YOU!" _she vowed angrily. As the black ichor fell from Marion's wrists she began chanting spells in a dark sounding language. For each drop of blood that fell to the ground a dark portal was opened from the ground, from each portal a Hell Hound emerged snarling and howling as they crawled out from beyond the veil. Gorat took a defensive stance in front of Merlin intent to protect his friend no matter the cost. Unfortunately for him he was severely outnumbered, there were six Hell Hounds already emerged from their portals with more quickly climbing out of their pits. Two of them threw themselves at Gorat who was able to bat the demon hounds away with little problem, as two more leaped at the Golem in mid swing biting onto his outstretched arm and one of his legs. As he struggled to get the Hell Hounds off of his limbs 3 more had crawled out of their portals and were advancing towards Merlin along with the two he had knocked away previously. Gorat tried to intercept the Hell Hounds approaching Merlin but was held firmly in place by the Hell Hounds restraining him.

Gorat's crystals began to glow a whitish blue color and with a violent war that shook the entire cavern sent the Hell hound on his arm flying as he slammed his hands to the ground. From the a wall of ice spikes magically rose from the ground as it blocked off the path of the Hell Hounds approaching Merlin while impaling several of the Hell Hounds. The two that hadn't been impaled began clawing and gnawing at the spikes now blocking their way, unfortunately for Gorat the poison from the Hell Hound's maws were beginning to dissolve the wall of ice, it would not last for long. Kicking the Hell Hound on his leg towards several of the recently arrived Hell Hounds he grabbed the chain that had fallen to the ground and swung it at the monstrous dogs gnawing at his wall. The moment it made contact with them they dissolved into black ichor and smoke, but somehow Marion had escaped her entrapment. Upon closer examination Gorat saw that Marion had somehow severed her hands which her now the only things connected to the chain. A burst of dark fire hit Gorat from behind sending him into the wall, when he got back up he noticed that Marion was approaching him with balls of dark fire igniting from her new hands. As she approached Gorat the remaining Hell Hounds, the final total being seven, made their way towards the wall of ice. Two of them approached Marion from the sides and helped her surround Gorat. Gorat roared as he rushed at the Demon only to be caught by the two Hell Hounds that held him back with their tremendous strength.

"_You have failed Golem."_ Marion taunted menacingly. _"Once my pets are finished destroying your rode block I will be one step closer to ruling the mortal realm, and there's nothing you can do about it!:_

"No, but I can," said a familiar voice from above. Marion turned around in shock as she was hit square in the chest by a blast of dark fire. The hit had taken a heavy toll upon Marion as she struggled to raise herself from the ground. When she looked up she almost smiled to see Morgana their along with another human paler than she was.

"_Well Morgana you've made the job of finding you all the easier."_ Marion taunted. Before Morgana could respond the human male leapt from the cliff and landed gently on the ground in front of the group of Hell Hounds. Their attention was immediately turned to the pale form before them.

"Roku what are you doing?" Morgana demanded angrily.

"_**Morgana please, this is the first time I've had any part in the outside world in eons, give me a chance to 'stretch my wings'"**_ he said casually as he looked the Hell Hounds down. They all growled at him menacingly as they approached him slowly. Roku tskked sadly as he made a small cut on his hand.

"_**Is this what is to pass for demon thralls now? Pitiful, allow me to show you a TRUE demon's power."**_ As the black ichor fell from his wound two portals were opened similar to the ones used to bring the Hell Hounds to the world. But instead of the demonic wolves a new creature emerged, a creature twice as tall and thick as the Hell Hounds pulled themselves out of their holes as they roared angrily at the foes before them. They looked almost like Dragons except they were thinner and had no wings.

"_**Did my Drakons miss their daddy?" **_Roku asked in a patronizing father like voice. The Drakons seemed to coo at Roku's words as the Hell Hounds slowly approached the new foes, they never stood a chance.

"_**Have fun,**_ Roku said with a chuckle as he turned to the wall of ice the moment his back turned the Drakons leapt at the approaching Hell Hounds, each grabbing one in each of their front claws while one of them engulfed the fifth in a stream of dark fire. The Hell Hounds that had been restraining Gorat were distracted long enough for the Golem to send them flying into the maws of the Drakons. Morgana managed to make her way towards Roku who had been melting the icicles to give him access to Merlin.

"You know quite a few tricks, first a portal directly under Camelot and then creating Drakons."

"_**I summoned Drakons my dear Morgana; unfortunately creating Drakons requires my full strength which is impossible while I'm in this form. Fortunately for us it still gives me access to my power even if it has to be used in smaller bursts." **_As a small path finally formed allowing them to get to Merlin Marion appeared preparing to lunge at Morgana.

"_YOU DIE NOW PRIESTESS!" _Roku seemed prepared to push Morgana out of the way and take the blow but that wasn't necessary. Gorat appeared from behind Marion and threw her by the leg back into the wall. He turned to Morgana and said in a commanding voice, "Get friend and leave! I will keep demon away." Morgana nodded as Gorat ran after the downed Marion.

"_**Now where did you find him?**_" Gorat asked immediately interested in the Golem.

"Not important, we need to save Merlin." Nodding in agreement they ran towards Merlin, upon reaching the Warlock's form Morgana gasped putting her hand to her mouth. Roku knelt down and put his hand on Merlin's brow.

"_**He's alive but if we don't hurry his soul will be lost beyond the veil," **_he declared calmly. As Roku put his hands on the chains made of Stygian Iron he cringed in pain from the contact of the ancient metal. With a red glow of his eyes and an angry shout the chains entrapping Merlin shattered, Roku stumbled in exhaustion as Morgana approached Merlin.

"Merlin? Merlin! Please you have to wake up!" she pleaded desperately. Unfortunately the Warlock did not stir as the battle between Gorat and Marion grew louder. Morgana was about to place her hands on Merlin to attempt a healing spell when Roku slapped her hands away.

"_**We don't have the time,**_" he insisted.

"He'll die if he doesn't receive healing!" She shouted angrily.

"_**And we'll all die if you heal him here,**_" he reasoned calmly. With a whistle the two Drakons shattered through the remains of the ice walls to their master's call. Roku tossed Morgana and Merlin atop of one of them while he climbed atop the second one. With a single command the Drakons ran off in the direction of the exit. At seeing them escape Gorat landed one final punch at Marion before running directly behind the Drakons. Unfortunately his punch wasn't enough to k nock Marion out for she began firing streams of dark fire at the escaping trio. As they ran away random bursts of fire barely avoided them, whether it was due to the Drakons superior maneuverability or the fact that Marion's aim was off due to her injuries Morgana didn't know. Finally they heard Marion incant a spell that made even Roku pale at hearing it.

"_**The fool intends to kill us all down here!"**_ he shrieked urging the Drakons to move faster. When finished with her spell Marion launched from her horns a combination of dark fire and pure demonic energy that surged through the caverns completely, filling every crevice that it passed. Morgana leapt off of the Drakon she was riding and quickly raised her hands, now glowing with dark fire.

"_**What are you doing?!**_" Roku demanded angrily at seeing Morgana jump off the Drakon.

"Buying you time to escape!" she yelled over the roar of Marion's spell. Raising her hands Morgana released a full powered stream of dark fire to collide with Marion's spell. While it managed to slow it down briefly it was nowhere near enough to stop the blast. In a surprise turn of events Morgana heard the sounds of breathing fire as two more streams of dark fire came from behind her. She turned around to see the two Drakons breathing their dark flame in hopes to aid Morgana followed by Roku releasing a pure red blast of demonic energy. Their combined powers were enough to stop the blast for now, but the moment one of them faltered they'd all be destroyed.

"What are you doing?!" Morgana yelled over the roar of the spells.

"_**In what situation have you ever seen a demon heal anybody? If you die Emrys dies with you!" **_Morgana paused when she heard Gorat roaring from behind them. Suddenly from the ground shot several walls of ice intercepting the streams of attacks; Morgana, Roku and the Drakons finished using their attacks while Marion's onslaught managed to rattle the walls signaling they wouldn't last long.

"Go, I will stay here and fight," Gorat said sternly as his back crystals glowed a combination of red and purple.

"Gorat you can't!" Morgana protested.

"_**That blast will kill anything living whether it's by natural means or by magical, theres no way it will survive the blast,"**_ Roku advised briefly.

"You see! We have to get out of here." Morgana pleaded.

"No, I will stay and buy time." Gorat assured.

"Then I will stay with you," Morgana replied stubbornly.

"**NO!"** Gorat shouted loudly causing both her and Roku to flinch.

"World needs you and friend to protect it; I am dispensable, not needed to protect world." Gorat looked back down at Morgana and the hardness left his hard blue eyes reverting back to the innocent child like stare Morgana had grown to love.

"I do not want friend or Just-Jane to die, Gorat wants you both to live with small Dragon friend and protect world, please. Let me die so friends can live." Morgana looked up at the innocent childlike Golem and felt tears stream from her eyes. As one of the walls of ice shattered the blast seemed to get closer to them.

"_**Theres no time for this, we need to leave NOW,**_" Roku insisted getting back onto one of the Drakons. Morgana looked back up at Gorat and hugged the Golem affectionately at the waist.

"I'm so sorry," she cried in between sobs. Gorat moved her away from him briefly and caught a few of her tears on his massive finger, his crystals glowed blue momentarily, freezing the tears, before returning back to the combination of red and purple glowing crystals. Then, removing the leather bracelet Morgana had given him (the magic to disguise him no longer in effect) and placed the frozen tears into the braids of the band. Handing it back to Morgana he picked the Sorceress up and placed her on top of the other Drakon. Not waiting for Morgana to ready herself Roku ordered the Drakons to begin running. Morgana was caught off guard as the Drakons sped away and was unable to say a proper good bye to Gorat; fortunately he wasn't too distracted by the oncoming onslaught of demonic energy to say a good bye of his own.

"Good bye friends! Please tell Merlin I hope to see him again!" He yelled in his innocent, childlike tone. Due to the Drakon running to fast Morgana was unable to shout anything back to him but she waved a final goodbye as the tears flowed freely down from her face. When the Drakons were out of sight and the second of the ice barriers destroyed Gorat turned around to face the oncoming blast, his childlike demeanor gone as his gaze became hard again as he looked at the oncoming attack. Gorat looked down at his hands as they glowed the combined color of red and purple as he readied himself for what he must do. The moment the final ice barrier shattered Gorat roared defiantly as he slammed his glowing hands into the oncoming attack. For a moment he was able to hold the attack at bay, but he slowly found his body being pushed back. Digging his feet into the ground Gorat continued to hold back the attack, pushing back with all the strength he could muster as his thoughts wandered to that of the only two friends he could remember. He thought of the long trek he had taken to carry Merlin back to Camelot, he remembered Morgana taking him into the forest so he could watch and listen to the birds sing, how they treated him like a person and not a stone man. At the thought of his friends Gorat felt one final surge of power flow through him. With one final push Gorat managed to break a small hole in the attack, with it open he put one of his hands through it and fired with all the remaining energy he had a combination of fire and lightning. As it flew it managed to combine with the demonic energy flowing in the opposite direction of the stream, as it gained power and speed it managed to hit its mark and hit Marion square in the chest. She let out a loud scream that seemed to shake the very caverns, as she fell and evaporated into black mist her attack was still in effect. Gorat, who had used the remainder of his magical power took on the full force of the remaining attack as it struck him and slamming him into the wall, the caverns began to collapse and the shockwaves made from the attacks were finally being noticed above in the Citadel, especially since part of the castle had sunk due to the collapsing caverns

The Drakons were running frantically now, knowing that there was nothing left keeping them from being struck by Marion's attack once it caught up to them. As they finally made it out of the cavern the blast from Marion's attack followed them out through the cavern's entrance and blasted through acres of trees in the way of the blast. As the blast that followed them dissipated another, larger force of the blast shot up seemingly right in the center of Camelot. As Morgana and Roku watched the blast they heard the echoing screams of Marion being defeated.

"_**It'll take a while for your Marion to regenerate from that, but I'm afraid that once she does she'll be more powerful than ever.**_" He turned to Morgana expecting some sort of reply and was interested to see that she was still crying, clutching the wrist band Gorat had given her close to her chest.

"_**I'm sure you'll be able to find another tool like it,**_" Roku said casually, obviously lacking the ability to be sympathetic. "_**Certainly there would be many like it, powerful creature as it was,"**_

"As he was," Morgana said angrily as she shot a teary eyed death stare over at Roku. "And no there aren't any others like him," she said sadly. "He was one of a kind."

"_**Pity, it was quite useful."**_ Morgana ignored Roku's uncaring words as she looked down at the bracelet Gorat had returned to her. In between several of the bradding loops there were the frozen tears that Gorat had collected from Morgana that were formed into a circle, in between the frozen tears was a small white crystal, obviously one from his back or arm. Morgana closed her eyes as tears continued to flow from them and Morgana put the wristband around her neck, it being too long to wear on her wrist. She looked back at Roku with a cold expression and said expressionlessly,

"Let's tend to Merlin, he's going to need a lot of help."

AN: Hey guys, I know I updated the story yesterday but after uploading only a 1k word chapter I felt really bad for doing so. You guys read my stories for a decent amount of entertainment and here I am giving you guys barely anything to read. You all deserve better than that and I am truly sorry. I will have the next chapter updated ASAP as always. I hope you guys forgive me for being lazy, so until then.


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31: A Loss of Another

After three days there was no change.

For three days Morgana had nonstop used every healing spell she knew to try to awaken Merlin, but no matter what she tried he wouldn't wake up. She even tried using the Crystal of Jadira, in hopes that something was simply poisoning him, but when blood started going through to the crystal she stopped immediately. Roku however was very interested in all of Merlin's magical artifacts. Morgana had to enlarge Merlin's chest to get the Crystal and the minute she opened it the Greater Demon was instantly attracted to the collection. Unfortunately for him Merlin's spell was still in effect so every time Roku reached for something a blast of blue energy would send him smiling. Morgana allowed herself a small smile at seeing him fail time after time. Unfortunately her amusement was short lived as the extent of her power was met preventing her from curing any real damage inflicted to Merlin.

"Roku do you have any ideas on what's wrong with Merlin?" she asked as she sighed in defeat.

"_**None at all, perhaps if I was allowed into Emrys's toy chest,**_" he was sent flying again but stood up undeterred to get into the chest. Morgana scowled and stepped between him and the chest.

"You're here to help me heal Merlin, NOT play with magical artifacts." Roku scowled slightly as he stared at Morgana slightly.

"_**I am not here for your use Priestess; you needed my help to free your friend. Which I did, I have no obligation to you now. What is to stop me from killing you?**_" As he spoke the two Drakons began snarling from somewhere in the area followed by Aithusa's returned roar in defiance. The Drakons silenced but only for a moment.

"Your still here," Morgana said allowing ice to creep into her voice, "Is because you swore to help me save Merlin and get him out of harm's way. Sick and dying is in harm's way." She spat angrily. Roku smiled darkly as he took a few steps closer to Morgana, as he spoke she could have sworn that snarls were trying to escape from his throat.

"_**I may have said that but I'm already partly freed, it shouldn't take long for me to find a way to free myself. So technically what's to stop me from killing you and taking Merlin's chest of toys?**_"

"Other than the fact that you can't get into the chest?" Morgana said coolly with a cruel smile. Roku snarled and leapt at Morgana, not expecting such a primitive maneuver she was slammed into Merlin's chest with Roku atop of her, hands on her shoulders holding her down effortlessly.

"_**I am a Greater Demon! I took part in the creation of numerous words, and I am NOT a pet to a High Priestess who barely understands how to use her powers,**_" Morgana struggled under Roku's grip was unable to force the Greater Demon off of her. Roku bent his head and smiled cruelly as his tongue extended from his mouth and licked Morgana's face causing her to shiver from the contact.

"_**Perhaps I will keep you as a pet before I devour you, humans were quite… amusing in my time,**_" As he laughed manically the pressure was instantly relieved from her chest as Roku was somehow forced off her body. She shot up and looked around to see Aithusa atop of Roku growling menacingly at the downed demon.

"_**Know your place hatchling! Show your creator some respect!**_" Roku snarled.

"I will not respect any creature who threatens my friend or my father," Roku struggled under Aithusa's weight but was unable to get the snarling Dragon off of him. Standing up Morgana turned to Merlin's chest and saw his white staff. It seemed vaguely familiar until she recognized where it was from, she pulled it out of the chest and slowly walked towards Roku. Roku continued to struggle against Aithusa, when he noticed Morgana approaching him he turned to face her ready with a smart remark, but at seeing the staff his face paled a surprisingly whiter shade.

"So I'm right in thinking what this staff is made of then," Morgana said in a cold tone that would have pierced like a knife to any lesser person.

"_**Where did you- acckk!" **_Roku's question was interrupted by Aithusa applying pressure to his throat, black ichor slowly flowing from the wound.

"It doesn't matter where it came from; it's a branch from the Yggdrasill isn't it?" Roku wasn't able to speak due to Aithusa's pressure on his neck but he slowly nodded not taking his eyes off of the staff.

"Now I wonder what would happen if I were to press ever. So. Gently." She then pressed the butt of the staff to Roku's hand where it immediately began smoking from the contact. Roku screamed in pain and when Morgana removed the staff there was a black, bloodied mark oozing on his hand. Roku panted heavily as he looked at Morgana and the staff with extreme hate.

"Now here's the deal: You WILL help me revive Merlin. If you don't we'll see just how long your corporeal self will last out of your real body, understand?" Roku looked back up at Morgana and then at Aithusa, who emphasized Morgana's threat with a growl of her own, and then back at Morgana as he said with an emotionless smile, "_**Of course Priestess,**_" Aithusa got off of Roku and allowed him to stand, the minute he was up Morgana gestured to Merlin and ordered Roku to examine him, which he did with no remorse. He knelt down beside Merlin and placed his hands on the Warlocks form. He examined him for several minutes but to Morgana it easily seemed like a life time, when he stood up, grunting as he stood, he looked back at Morgana that almost resembled fear.

"What's wrong with him?" she demanded, gripping the white staff tightly. Roku looked back at Merlin and then Morgana again while saying almost respectfully.

"_**Merlin, is not in his body.**_"

"What?!" Morgana demanded.

"_**I do not know how Azazel crafted the chains but apparently they do something to the minds of anyone with magic that are confined by them. Merlin's Corporeal essence is not in his body, it is… beyond the veil it seems.**_" Morgana froze as she heard Roku's words, Aithusa fared no better as she roared sadly into the night letting her anguish flow from her roar. Morgana shook herself out of her depression and asked, "Can't you bring him back? Pull him from the veil?"

"_**No, while it's much easier to cross the veil on this side it's impossible for a demon to cross the veil on its own. I'd be able to send my corporeal form back and forth but only because my physical form is in this world.**_"

"So Merlin is…" she didn't have the nerve to say the words, not wanting them to be true. Unfortunately Roku was blunt enough to say it for her.

"_**Dead? Not yet, but he won't have long. The other demons will smell his essence and try to use his corporeal form to possess his body. It'd be best to kill the body now."**_

"NO," Morgana shouted slamming the butt of the staff to the ground and pointing it at Roku threateningly. "I will not kill Merlin under ANY circumstance. There has to be a way to help him. THINK!" she yelled causing Roku to jump.

"_**I can only think of sending my corporeal form across the veil to find Merlin, but even then I'd have no way to pull him back without possessing him. The best I could do would be to fight off other demons trying to possess him."**_

"Ok Roku humor me, let's say that there was a chance to save Merlin, I don't care how small, how would we do that?" Roku thought for a few moments but eventually shook his head.

"_**I don't know how to find one, but it would take a massive spiritual healing source. One of which I haven't a clue if it even exists.**_"

"Kilgharrah would know," Aithusa said sadly as she curled around Merlin's body protectively. "Kilgharrah knew everything."

"That was your mentor right? The Dragon from under the castle?" Aithusa nodded and Morgana's hopes immediately rose. "Well where is he? Would he help us?"

"Father told me he was dead," Aithusa said sadly. Morgana's hopes dropped instantly followed by a depressed mood. For whatever reason however Roku's expression perked up.

"_**If he's dead that could work in our favor, talking to the dead is a simple enough task. And as the creator of the Dragons I should be able to call upon this Kilgharrah's spirit,**_"

"What's the catch?" Morgana demanded not about to let Roku pull the wool over her eyes.

"_**We need something that belonged to him and for a member of the same species to house his spirit temporarily,**_" He then looked over to Aithusa and said loud enough for her to hear, "_**That would be you hatchling!**_" Aithusa stood from her curled position around Merlin and snarled at Roku, but stopped when Morgana put a hand on her back.

"Is it safe?" Morgana asked.

"_**Of course, just know that we have no control over the spirit of the deceased once he's risen, he will have full control of the body until either the spell wears off or he leaves voluntarily.**_"

"How long does the spell last?" Morgana asked.

"_**No more than three days, but this is all only rhetorical unless we have something of Kilgharrah's**_," Aithusa went to Merlin's body and poked her snout at his neckerchief. She lifted the neckerchief aside gently as she pulled off Merlin's necklace underneath, she put it in Morgana's hands and she saw a Dragon scale connected to a piece of twine.

"Aithusa are you sure you want to do this?" Morgana asked.

"Yes, if there's any way that we can help my father I'll do whatever it takes to do so. Just promise me that if this demon tries to kill me you shove that staff down his throat."

"Deal," Morgana said tossing the scale over to Roku. "Do the spell," she demanded. Roku nodded and held the scale in his hand. He closed his eyes and began to enchant the words to raise Kilgharrah's spirit.

"_**What once walked this Earth shall walk again,**_

_**Which once blessed this world shall visit again.**_

_**The price that's been asked has been dutifully paid, **_

_**Arise now Kilgharrah! Arise I say!"**_

Roku swiped some of the blood spilling from his hand and rubbed it on the scale, when he opened his eyes they glowed red in the use of the demonic magic. A dark mist appeared from nowhere and it quickly began to surround Aithusa. The mist hastened as it surrounded the young Dragon, doing little to ease the mind of Morgana watching the process. The mist began lairing around Aithusa's body as it made the young Dragon grow at an alarming rate, where she also now grew horns on her head as the color of her scales turned to a brown/ coppery color. By the time the mist stopped forming Aithusa was now easily the size of a tall building. She stirred slightly and when her eyes open they were no longer the blue color Morgana had known; they were a hard brown color that for some reason scared her more than Roku. The Dragon looked around expectantly but furrowed its brow when it saw Morgana and Roku. The Dragon gave a curt nod to Roku before turning towards Morgana. The Dragon now laughed in a male voice that sounded very old far beyond Aithusa's years. It looked down at Morgana and said in obvious disdain,

"_Morgana Pendragon_," he said with a mix of scorn and surprise._ "We meet at last."_


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32: Return of the Great Dragon

"_Morgana Pendragon," _he said with a mix of scorn and surprise._ "We meet at last."_

"You know of me?" Morgana asked, trying to keep the obvious fear out of her voice.

"_Of course, aside from Merlin's constant calls to me to aid him in defeating you I also have access to Aithusa's memories."_ Kilgharrah looked down at Morgana; she could see the judgment in his eyes as he her over. Finally he snorted and said bluntly, "_You are nothing special, merely a High Priestess whom has meddled with magics far beyond her understanding."_

"I have never used a spell I haven't been able to control," Morgana said defensively. Kilgharrah laughed humorlessly and said in a dry voice, "_No? Have you not freed a Greater Demon from his imprisonment? You mean to tell me you have control over him?"_

"_**She does not,**_" Roku admitted answering for Morgana. "_**Although the staff she wields gives her an edge over me.**_"

"_Ah yes,"_ Kilgharrah said as he inspected the white staff. "_A staff made from a branch of the Yggdrasill, the World Tree. The most powerful remaining symbol of the Old Religion given only to those worthy of wielding it. I'm assuming its Merlin's, isn't it?"_ He asked the last part cruelly, Morgana felt her face redden from embarrassment and anger. Kilgharrah noticed this and chuckled at seeing the discomfort of the Witch. Morgana could see that for whatever reason this Dragon was no ally of hers, but she had no other option then to try to convince it to help her save Merlin.

"Look," Morgana started pointedly, "I had you summoned because I need your help."

"_Do you now?"_ Kilgharrah asked in an amused tone. "_And why, dare I ask, should I assist you?"_

"Because if you don't Merlin will die!" Morgana said a little too angrily. Kilgharrah mistook the outburst as a threat and replied to Morgana as such.

"_Do not dare to think you can threaten me Witch, if you lay so much as a hand on Merlin I __**WILL**__ end you."_

"It's not a threat," Morgana assured regaining her composure she pointed towards Merlin's body lying on the ground. "He's dying, and if you don't help us there's nothing any of us can do for him," Kilgharrah moved to look at Merlin's form and his eyes softened at the sight of the injured Warlock. He approached Merlin and breathed into him a rippling flow of magic, Morgana could feel the intensity of the breath from behind the Dragon, and it was nothing like what Aithusa had ever done.

"_Merlin's spirit is too far intertwined beyond the veil; it is beyond my ability to heal him."_

"What happened to him?" Morgana asked worriedly.

"_During Merlin's last moments trapped beneath Camelot he attempted to use the High Priest's method of avoiding pain by separating his soul from his body; unfortunately his spirit had to travel to far to escape the pain. Now his body is in too much pain for his spirit thus rendering his spirit lost beyond the veil unable to return."_ Morgana felt her body tighten at hearing what Kilgharrah had said. Kneeling down Morgana took Merlin's head in her hands and began to weep quietly.

"Is there any way we can heal him?" she asked desperately? Kilgharrah looked down at Morgana and saw the tears she cried were of true remorse, whatever had happened after his death Merlin must have done something to Morgana. He didn't know what but he still didn't trust the witch, unfortunately he still felt regret for not being able to help his Lord.

"_No, he is beyond my ability to heal and I am afraid there is little time before Merlin is either killed beyond the veil or possessed by a demon. I am sorry."_ Morgana began to sob louder as she put her head down to Merlin's whispering over and over again, "I'm sorry Merlin," As she sobbed and Kilgharrah mourned Roku looked between the two before igniting his hands with dark fire, he then approached Merlin with his hands raised preparing to deal a fatal blow to the Warlock's body. Morgana and Kilgharrah both noticed him at the same time and reacted simultaneously. Morgana released a blast of energy from the staff which sent Roku flying in pain while Kilgharrah slammed one of his front talons onto the demon's chest forcing him to the ground.

"What were you trying to do?!" Morgana asked angrily, the staff still pointed at Roku's head. Kilgharrah moved his talon enough for Roku to speak who chose to take the chance to complain rather than answer Morgana's question.

"_**Why is it that my creations no longer have a sense of loyalty to me? Does it mean nothing that I created your kind?"**_ Roku demanded of Kilgharrah.

"_Due to your absence from our existence we were forced to turn to the early Dragon Lords of the time to aid us. Only the distant relatives of the Dragon have any remaining loyalty to you and even they will bow to a Dragon Lord. Now answer her question. What were you trying to do?"_

"_**I've already explained it,**_ Roku insisted. _**"If Emrys's physical form isn't killed then a demon could possess him and wreak havoc in this world. Even a lesser demon would be capable of tremendous things with Emrys's powers. He must be killed before it allies with Marion,"**_

"I will not kill Merlin," Morgana said stubbornly lowering the staff. "I will do whatever it takes to see Merlin well again, even if it costs me my life." There was silence between the three beings until Kilgharrah finally groaned and said something.

"_While it doesn't require you kill yourself I may know of one way to save Merlin,"_

"How?" Morgana demanded instantly jumping up from the ground.

"_In this realm is a bird that is immune to death: the Phoenix. When it's physical body becomes old and frail it bursts into flames, becoming reborn as a new born Phoenix. The tears of these creatures are said to have tremendous healing powers that can surpass even the Dragons. If a tear is given willingly from the Phoenix it is possible that it would be enough to save Merlin."_

"That's great then!" Morgana said happily, "Where can we find a Phoenix?"

"_In the living world there are but three Phoenix's at a time,"_ Kilgharrah explained. _"While the Phoenix themselves remember everything from their past lives they are known to claim territories in the world to do as they please. The closest Phoenix can be located in a forest beyond the borders of the former Fisher King's domain."_

"Well that's wonderful! Let's head there now," Morgana said anxiously. From beneath Kilgharrah's talon Roku laughed causing Morgana to look at the demon suspiciously.

"_**It seems that the Dragons have kept my habit of retaining important information, isn't there something you're forgetting to tell the girl Kilgharrah?**_" Morgana looked up at the Dragon confused while Kilgharrah sighed while looking down at the demon in his claws.

"_Roku speaks the truth. I did leave something out that is vitally important."_

"Why would you do that?" Morgana asked hurt. "Do you not want me to save Merlin?" Kilgharrah growled and put his head down at eye level to Morgana. As he spoke Morgana could feel the anger from his hot breath as he breathed onto her as he spoke.

"_You will __**never**__ accuse me of not wanting to save Merlin. He has been a friend to me and my ward since he spared my life years ago after I tried to destroy Camelot and kill your father, Uther, in revenge. His act of mercy allowed me to live my life and pass what knowledge of the Dragons I could to my ward. I would willingly suffer another eternity trapped by those damned chains if it meant saving his life."_

"Then why keep something from me that would prevent that?" Morgana demanded in confusion.

"_Because you cannot save him,"_ he said bluntly. Morgana was taken aback by his words and she took a step back in confusion. "What do you mean?" she asked worriedly.

"_While a Phoenix tear will heal Merlin of whatever ails him the Phoenixes themselves will be unwilling to part with one. A Phoenix will only approach someone who is completely pure of heart, it is impossible to find one otherwise. Even if you were to find a Phoenix regardless of being pure of heart or not the tear must be taken from the Phoenix with their willingness, it would be impossible for you to force one from them or else they will shed a black tear: an instant poison that cannot be cured."_ Kilgharrah raised his head from Morgana's level and looked down at her accusingly. "_And by my last check Morgana Pendragon, you are the last person anyone would call pure of heart."_ Morgana looked up at the Dragon and felt her gaze surpass him thinking of the Dragon's words. If it took someone pure of heart to find a Phoenix than she was screwed.

Kilgharrah was right; she was far from being pure of heart. There may have been a time before her obsessive conquest to take over Camelot but not anymore. Roku was anything _but_ pure and would probably scare the bird away. She doubted that Kilgharrah was pure of heart either, otherwise he'd of suggested the tear earlier. It seemed that they were out of options and were looking at a matter of time until either Merlin died or they were forced to kill him themselves.

"So there's nothing we can do then," Morgana said sadly looking away from Kilgharrah.

"_**I may know of one way to save him,**_" Roku said suddenly as he struggled to escape from Kilgharrah's grip. The Dragon growled but Morgana looked down at the demon with cautious curiosity.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"_**We've already discussed that there is only one way to bring Merlin back through mortal means: the rare chance that a Phoenix will willingly gift one of its tears to you. I suggest something else: Allow me to possess the boy, his spirit will remain intact and will be returned to his body immediately."**_

"_While also freeing yourself from your prison and taking Merlin's free will, I won't allow it!"_ Kilgharrah growled as he pressed Roku into the ground harder earning him pained grunts from Roku.

"I wouldn't agree to that even if Kilgharrah was here," Morgana said bluntly. She turned to the Dragon and demon and looked at them with a determined glare. "I will look for the Phoenix, pure heart or not I will find it and one way or another heal Merlin." She turned to Roku and put the tip of the Yggdrasill staff over his head threateningly. "You mentioned you could protect Merlin's spirit from being possessed? Do it. I don't know how long it will take to find the bird but you will fight to the death to protect Merlin or else you won't have a body to come back to, do I make myself clear?" Roku looked up at Morgana and through the weight of a Dragon atop of him and a staff pointed threateningly at his head the demon smiles at Morgana.

"_**And what is to stop me from possessing Merlin once I am across the veil?**_" he asked simply.

"_Me,"_ Kilgharrah insisted while slamming Roku further into the ground. "_I can insure that for at least three days you will do nothing but guard and protect the boy's spirit. If I even suspect you're doing anything else the witch will be the last of your worries."_ After a final push Kilgharrah lifted his talon off of Roku and allowed him to stand. Roku brushed himself off and assembled himself into a meditative position.

"_**Three days Priestess, once your Dragon's spell wears off I will collect Merlin's spirit for myself. Three days.**_" With a red flash of his eyes the corporeal spirit of the demon crossed into the veil leaving his body in the position left behind. Morgana than grabbed at the demon pendant around her neck and opened a portal like the one the diamir had shown her, but this one lead to the land of the Fisher King. Efficiently making the trip to the Phoenix's territory all the quicker.

"_Be warned,"_ Kilgharrah said sternly. "_The Phoenix will avoid you at all cost, you must search for a flying fire being and capture it; and then you must somehow convince it to willingly give you a tear."_

"I will do my part Dragon, just be sure to do yours," Without giving Kilgharrah another chance to speak Morgana turned around and walked into the portal. As it closed Kilgharrah couldn't help but chuckle as he looked back down to Merlin's body.

"_I can see what you like about her Merlin, she has fire. A pity it took this for me to realize you may have been right about her."_

AN: Thanks for reading everyone hope you liked the chapter. Please remember to review, I love those and they make me feel like you actually read my story. I'll have the next chapter up ASAP, so until then.


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33:

Roku's spirit traveled effortlessly through the river of the veil, his original form's corporeal image flowing through the pure ripples of power as a fish would a river. It had been eons since the Greater Demon had felt the flow of power from the veil and while it was only a fraction of the feeling he was feeling he felt alive again. The lesser demons he saw as he passed through the veil trembled at the sight of his spirit, while many had forgotten of Roku they recognized the power that flowed off his spirit, even though he was weakened out of his physical body his corporeal form was plenty powerful to fight off anything other than another Greater Demon. As Roku swam through the veil he suddenly felt the familiar spirit of the Dragon Lord Merlin; as he closed in on its location he saw the boy's soul: a small, blue, sphere that floated aimlessly around the veil awaiting the end. Roku also saw a number of demons advancing on the boy; before they grew close Roku's face changed to one of a Dragon and released a jet of black fire at one of the leading demons. The demon recoiled from the contact and shrieked in pain as it dissolved into black dust, the other demons stared terrified as they looked upon Roku's spirit.

"_**Be gone you pitiful fools,**_" Roku demanded halfheartedly. "_**This soul is mine; go find one more at your level.**_" The demons ran in fear away from Roku as he wrapped his coils around Merlin's soul without touching it directly.

_**It'd be so easy,**_ he thought to himself. _**Just the simplest brush of our spirits and I'd be free from my prison beneath the Yggdrasill.**_ Suddenly he felt a burn come from his coils and he jerked them away from Merlin's soul and shock and pain.

"_You will do no such thing,"_ The wizened voice of Kilgharrah scolded into Roku's mind. _"If you so much as consider touching Merlin's soul again you'll find your prison beneath the World Tree the least of your problems, do we understand each other?"_

"_**Perfectly,**_" Roku managed with a groan. Roku simply floated there, protectively guarding the soul of the last Dragon Lord as he silently thought of all the trouble he'd be able to cause once he took possession of Merlin's body.

_**Just three days,**_ Roku thought silently to himself. _**Three days and Marion will be the least of this world's problem.**_

_The Land of the Fisher King_

Morgana stepped out of the portal as it shut behind her leaving her just beyond the borders of the Fisher King's territory. Morgana remembered Morgause telling her how the Fisher King's land represented the condition of its King: a barren wasteland with nothing living within its borders, she felt the magic flowing in the land beyond and she felt herself in awe at the hold the king's power had over the land. As she turned her gaze to the bridge before her she allowed herself to look surprised when a small man suddenly appeared standing at the entrance to the bridge, blocking the way behind him.

"Who is it that wishes to cross my bridge?" the small man asked as Morgana progressed towards the bridge. Morgana stopped a respectful distance away from the Dwarf and bowed her head in a respectful manner.

"I am a High Priestess of the Old Religion, here in search to find the Phoenix who calls these lands their own." The Dwarf looked Morgana over, as if sizing her up, and limped over to her with his hand raised before her.

"Grettir," he said, which Morgana assumed was his name.

"Morgana," she replied shaking the dwarf's hand. Grettir chuckled as he let go of Morgana's hand and looked up at her.

"Seems a bit ironic, that the woman who gives the late King Arthur the Eye of the Phoenix now wishes to look for a Phoenix herself." Morgana froze in place at hearing Grettir mention the Eye of the Phoenix.

"How do you know about that?" she asked coldly.

"I was here when Arthur crossed my bridge all those years ago; I sensed the magic dripping from it as I do from you right now. Leaves me to wonder if I should allow you to cross my bridge." Morgana could feel her anger rising but was able to keep herself in check.

"Please," she begged pleadingly, "I know that in the past I've done many things to be ashamed of, but it's crucial that you allow me to cross the bridge to the Fisher Kings land. If you don't, someone very dear to me will die." Grettir looked at Morgana silently for a moment before nodding knowingly.

"I know, Emrys has done much to better you these past few months; and for that reason, I will allow you to cross my bridge."

"Thank you," Morgana said gratefully.

"But be warned," Grettir warned, "While I am willing to see the good within you the Phoenix will not. While you are in the Fisher King's domain you must swear on your honor as a High Priestess that you will not do anything to taint the land or those living here, can you promise me that?"

"Yes," Morgana said instantly.

"Good," Grettir said as he held something out to Morgana in his hand. As she reached for it she hesitated when she noticed that it was the Eye of the Phoenix.

"I removed the harmful enchantment on it and replaced it with a locator spell; when you approach the Phoenix the gem will glow, the brighter it glows the closer you get. When you're within its vicinity the gem will look like it's on fire, catching the bird however will be a more difficult matter however." Morgana nodded as she put the gemmed bracelet on her wrist.

"How did you come across it?" Morgana asked gesturing to the eye.

"Emrys gave it to the Fisher King," Grettir said simply. Morgana's expression to one of shock at hearing Merlin had done such a thing.

"Why would he have done such a thing?" she asked in shock.

"Because he asked for it," Grettir explained. At seeing Morgana's confused expression he elaborated. "For centuries the Fisher King suffered from a fatal blow dealt to him in a battle long ago, due to his power being connected to his land he was unable to die, but his land suffered as he did and as the Fisher King was always at Death's Door so was his land."

"And the Eye of the Phoenix killed him?" Morgana asked.

"Yes, in exchange for a gift he gave to Merlin he asked for that bracelet so he could die. I obtained it sometime later, knowing that someone would one day need it for another purpose."

"You knew that I would come here?" she asked curiously.

"Not you specifically, but someone," Grettir said.

"Please, if there is any other help you can give me…" Morgana looked pleadingly at Grettir who, after a few moments, nodded cooperatively.

"Phoenix's are drawn to warm temperatures and high places; also I'd _not_ use the dark power your pendant holds within it. Phoenix's will run from it assuming you're a demon, it'll also taint the land." Morgana nodded as she took several steps onto the bridge. She stopped after a few steps and said sincerely,

"Thank you Grettir, wish me luck." Morgana turned around and saw that Grettir was now nowhere in sight. As she turned around to continue her trek across the bridge she could have sworn she heard as the wind blew past her a whispering, _good luck_. Taking a deep breath she continued her journey across the bridge, as she comes to the bridge's end she freezes and gapes openly at the view before her:

She had never seen a land more beautiful than what she saw before her. There was so much green in the area before her that it looked as if it could have gone on forever. Morgana slowly walked more into the blooming forest, unable to pay attention to anything else. As she walked she tripped over a large rock, as she looked back she was shocked when legs appeared out of the sides of the rock as a large turtle's head appeared from the front of what was apparently its shell. It looked back at Morgana and after learning what tripped over him he slowly walked off to find a new place to sun bathe. Morgana continued walking through the forest, looking for both the Phoenix and at the amazing scenery around her, but she couldn't help at look at the magical creatures that inhabited the forest. Most of the creatures she had only heard about due to most of them having been deemed extinct or on the verge of extinction. Unfortunately for every magnificent creature she saw not one of them even remotely resembled the Phoenix she was looking for. She looked down at the amulet on her wrist and saw that it was barely glowing at all. She thought back to what Grettir had told her about the Phoenix: they were drawn to warm temperatures and high places. Looking up Morgana noticed that the trees were incredibly high and probably much warmer near the top due to there being less to obscure the sun's rays.

_Now I wish I had learned to climb trees with Arthur all those years ago,_ she thought sadly to herself. She approached the nearest tree and looked up its wide and tall trunk. Kicking off her shoes she wrapped her arms firmly around the trunk of the tree and tried to lift herself up higher up the tree. She managed to climb several feet before sliding down the trunk pitifully, cursing herself she tried to climb the tree again with the same effect, she was unable to climb the tree.

_There has to be an easier way,_ she thought to herself. Suddenly her mind replayed a memory she had with Merlin: they were out in the forests outside of Camelot and he was trying to teach her a long forgotten form of magic.

_"Shape shifting?" she had asked skeptically._

"_Yes, shape shifting," Merlin said with a grin on his face. At seeing Morgana's skeptical look on her face he couldn't help but laugh at her. "You may think I'm crazy but it is possible, I've done it a number of times."_

"_Alright then, prove it," Morgana had demanded. He did; at that moment he had transformed into a horse closely resembling his old mare Honey. She had jumped in shock and when the horse seemed to laugh at her she slapped it good humoredly on the side._

"_Very funny Merlin, it does you no good to scare a lady like that." As Merlin changed back he was still laughing to himself but was now glad that he had gotten the sorceresses attention._

"_So how did you do it?" Morgana asked curiously._

"_What you have to do," Merlin began explaining, "Is envision the animal you want to turn into while your holding onto your magic, like when you cast a spell. The thought will act like a spell and you should be able to change from there."_

"_It seems too easy," Morgana said skeptically._

"_Well it's not, at first your body will resist the change and depending on the animal you're changing into may hurt; but after you've done it a few times you can do it easily, like blinking."_

"_Any tips?" Morgana asked as she closed her eyes preparing to give it a try._

"_It's easier to change into an animal your familiar with, in your case I'd try a snake or a raven; but know that the more dire the need to change the easier it is to do so." _

Needless to say at the time Morgana had futilely tried for the greater part of the afternoon to change her shape to no success. Now, she hoped that her need was dire enough to enable the transformation. She closed her eyes and envisioned a large snake, with many coils that would be able to climb the tree at ease. As her eyes opened and glowed from the use of her power she could feel her body growing longer and thinner at the same time, while her arms and legs were morphed into her body. Morgana flinched inwardly at the pain but fought through it until it suddenly stopped; she looked down at herself and smiled inwardly at successfully transforming into a snake. Not giving herself much time to praise herself the snake slithered itself towards the tree she had struggled with earlier; she was grateful that she maintained the instincts of the snake, allowing her to know how to move and the proper way to scale the tree without hurting herself. After a few moments of climbing Morgana had reached the top of the tree she had been climbing; settling herself steadily on the branch Morgana reverted back to her human form, careful not to fall out of the tree. Looking down at the gem she was pleased to see that it was glowing brighter than before. Feeling somewhat pleased with herself she continued her search atop the tree tops.

The trees were closely grouped together so she did not have to remain the snake to get around, she only needed to maintain her balance and to concentrate as to not fall off of the trees. As she slowly crossed numerous tree tops she noticed the eye glow exponentially brighter as she reached a tall tree; looking up she noticed that the tree went up significantly and had many branches for climbing. So she slowly progressed up the tree, with each foot she traveled upwards the gem grew brighter. Finally as she managed to ascend to the tip of the tree she froze when she saw a red bird, approximately 3 feet tall, nested lazily in a nest looking out over the area. Morgana smiled inwardly at her luck and went to approach the bird. Unfortunately the moment she moved the branch creaked under her foot causing the Phoenix to jolt up from its nest and to look at Morgana. Not taking more than a second to look at her the bird immediately took to the sky getting far as far away from Morgana as she could.

"Oh no you don't," Morgana said out loud. "I didn't climb through a dozen trees to go down now," Closing her eyes Morgana focused on the form of black falcon; once again ignoring the pain Morgana opened her eyes to see herself in the shape of the large bird. Following her new animal instincts Morgana raised her wings and took off in pursuit of the Phoenix. After only a few moments of flying Morgana was able to catch up to the Phoenix who had apparently been looking for a new nest to rest in, however within seconds the red bird turned around and, at the sight of Morgana's form, flew off at increased speeds. Morgana remained tight on its tail and slowly gained on the magical bird; she could tell that the bird was tiring due to its slow drop in descent. She was also growing tired, she may not have been flying as long as the Phoenix had been but she was still knew to flying and was exhausted from using new muscles that she wasn't used to. Finally the Phoenix seemed to decide on something and made a quick U turn causing Morgana to have to double take to catch up to the Phoenix.

After another few minutes of flight Morgana saw that it was flying towards a castle, Morgana assumed that it was the now late Fisher King's castle and followed close behind the Phoenix. As she flew she noticed on the roof of the castle were several Dragon looking creatures. Morgana was lucky though for the creatures seemed to be asleep and unresponsive to her approach. She followed the Phoenix threw a window of the castle and upon entering the structure changed back into her human form, unable to take the stress of flying any longer. As she looked around the room she was surprised to see that the Phoenix had flown to the arm of a man standing in the room. He seemed to be a much older man and was wearing a crown and regal looking blue robes. The man talked softly to the Phoenix who was perched upon his arm like a trained hunting hawk.

"Who are you?" Morgana asked looking at the man. The man chuckled kindly as he looked over towards Morgana.

"I think that _I_ should be the one to ask you that my dear," the old man said kindly.

"My name is Morgana, High Priestess of the Old Religion." The man turned to the Phoenix who squawked in what Morgana assumed was a worried tone as the man whispered gently to the bird, calming it down while he turned back to face Morgana.

"Hello Morgana, I am the Fisher King."

AN: Hey guys, I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while. I had writers block for this story and wasn't sure how I wanted to progress with the story at this point. But I've got everything cleared up and I'll be reposting regularly now. I apologize for the wait and am grateful for everyone's patients; I'll have the next chapter up ASAP, so until then.


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34: The Tale of the Fisher King

Morgana stood in awe staring at the figure before her casually petting the Phoenix like an owner would a pet seemingly oblivious to her open moth gaping.

"The Fisher King," she finally managed to say, still awe struck by the statement. "But you're supposed to be dead! Grettir told me so. The old man chuckled as he moved the Phoenix from his arm to his shoulder as he turned to face Morgana.

"Grettir is correct of course, I am dead."

"That's kind of a contradiction isn't it?" Morgana asked regaining her composure. "You know the whole standing and talking thing."

"Yes, I see where that might confuse you. Here, let us take a seat and I will explain everything to you." The Fisher King waved his hand and two regal, if not old, looking chairs floated towards them along with a round table finding themselves placed in between the two sorcerers. As the Fisher King took a seat Morgana hesitated looking down at the seat and table.

"With all due respect your majesty I do not have a lot of time," Morgana said politely but nevertheless hurriedly.

"Yes, I am aware of Emrys's condition, and I assure you that I have only his wellbeing in mind. Now please-sit." Morgana's brow furrowed suspiciously as she looked at the king. While a part of her sensed a trap Morgana had to remember that the Phoenix wouldn't have approached him if he was a being of malice. So forgoing her instincts she took her seat at the table, earning her a small and warm smile from the Fisher King.

"Now to answer your question Morgana the Fisher King _is_ dead; and while I take on his form I am not entirely him."

"What do you mean?" Morgana asked suspiciously. The form of the Fisher King sighed as he sat back into his chair and closed his eyes, appearing to think back on a memory from long ago.

"It was many years ago; but only a century before the Age of Darkness. The man who would become the Fisher King was a man ruled under a horrid witch of a woman. The woman was a sorceress and used dark powers to control those who lived under her rule. Every month she would demand that one of the villages in her domain offer a young child to her for whatever purpose she wished to use of them. "

"What did she use them for?" Morgana asked.

"Horrid things," he said disgustedly. "She would use her magic to experiment on the children looking for new ways to expand her array of dark powers. Many of the bordering kingdoms knew of her evil but had not the power to oppose her so they were forced to watch her torment her village for many years, as was I."

"Who or perhaps the correct question would be: what are you?"

"I'm getting to that," the figure of the Fisher King said with a small smile. "One day when the witch sent her knights to the village the future Fisher King resided the knights chose to take his younger sister as the sacrifice for the witch. He fought back at the men, begging them to take him instead of them, but he was eventually beaten down as the men took his sister away screaming back for him."

"That's awful," Morgana said aghast.

"Indeed, I regret not having been able to aid her," he said regretfully.

"So what happened?" Morgana asked.

"The knights took his sister to the castle of the witch; unbeknownst to them the brother of the girl they had just taken was a sorcerer. Now the witch had proclaimed that any who could use magic in her kingdom were to serve directly under her as a part of her 'elite forces', however he was gifted at hiding his powers and was able to hide his powers from the witch's minions. He followed the knights to the castle in an attempt to free his sister the first chance he could, but unfortunately there was nothing he could do."

"Did she kill her?" Morgana asked sadly.

"If only the witch was so merciful. While he was powerful enough to hide his power from the witch's men he was not able to hide from the witch herself. She knew of his presence and before his eyes transformed his sister into a horrible beast of dark magic known as the Manticore, possessing a lion's body, a snake for a tail and the wings of a demonic creature while still possessing his sister's face. Enraged by the witch's sick nature he brought forth an annihilative storm of fire upon the witch, her men and what used to be his sister. The mortal men were struck down but the witch and her pet sorcerers were able to protect themselves from the attack. Having given away his position the witch sent her men and sister after him, leading to a chase that nearly killed the young man. He was chased into the woods outside his castle where it was rumored an old and powerful magic once lived, and it was there that I met the future king."

"You were the powerful magic?" Morgana asked skeptically.

"Yes. I was the protector of the forest, known simply as the Guardian of the Woods to the mortals living near my domain. For many centuries I had resided there banishing any dark magic's before they could mature into greater threats. The High Priests and Priestesses however would have called me a Spirit of Protection."

"You were a spirit from across the veil?" Morgana asked in shock?

"I still am a spirit, even if I no longer reside on the other side of the veil. Unlike demons a spirit can cross the veil if they have a pure reason for doing so. I saw the land full of evil magic's and felt the land needed protecting; and so I traveled across the veil and became one with the land, using my power to destroy those with evil intent."

"So you saved the Fisher King?" Morgana asked.

"Yes, as they entered my domain I was able to intervene. By bringing the trees to life I was able to kill the pursuing sorcerers and capture his Manticore sister. Even though she was a monster her soul begged for death to be free from the curse bestowed upon her. So I put her out of her misery. It was there that the boy and I came to an arrangement: he asked me to possess his body in exchange for my help in defeating the witch."

"You possessed the Fisher King? That would make you an abomination!" Morgana said appalled.

"Please understand Morgana," the spirit begged calmly. "The joining of a Spirit with a human is not the same as doing so as with a human and a demon. When a demon possesses a mortal they control the body and mind; when a spirit does so our consciousness fuses with the hosts. Giving both of us access to his body but without one having power over the other. No one was enslaved to another; we were equals and allies from that point on." Morgana didn't seem too comfortable with the spirits description of possession but she knew that if there was any hope of saving Merlin she'd have to try to understand.

"So what happened then?" Morgana asked.

"With our combined power we were able to defeat the witch and take her place as ruler of the lands. He ruled the lands as their king and he used my power to defend them. For decades he ruled a prospering nation as the only sorcerer king. As long as he was well and the land did not suffer none could defeat us."

"And then the Fisher King got hurt," Morgana said remembering the tale Merlin had told her from his trip to the Golem city.

"Yes," the spirit said sadly. "The Fisher King took a fatal blow from the Greater Demon that would have killed any other lesser man. Unfortunately due to our unique connection he was unable to die."

"What do you mean?" Morgana asked. "What was so unique about your connection?"

"I was still a part of the earth, the land of the Fisher King. While my berth grew under his reign I was still only as powerful as the land I protected; but I was joined to him as well, when he took the blow that should have killed him I was also weakened. Instead of dying we steadily drained the forest of its power, eventually resulting in it being referred to as the Perilous Lands. We both suffered for countless lifetimes, the only way we could be spared was for the physical body of the Fisher King to be killed."

"And Merlin killed him with the Eye of the Phoenix," Morgana stated.

"Yes, since then the land has slowly regrown. Being freed from the Fisher King I was able to completely be returned to the land as its protector."

"That's why the Phoenix came to you," Morgana realized. The Spirit nodded and petted the Phoenix again gently.

"Had you any intention of harming the Phoenix or to use it for personal gain I would have stopped you, instead I let her lead you here so we could speak."

"You'll help me though won't you? Surely the Phoenix will give you a tear willingly." The Spirit looked to the bird and it seemed to hiss angrily at it, causing him to sigh sadly.

"While I know you intend to use the tear to save Emrys the Phoenix can sense a lingering darkness within you; that plus the fact you wield a gem containing demonic power. Were I in her position I would be wary as well." Morgana fingered the pendant around her neck and thought, as she did she felt warm tears begin to well up in her eyes. Standing up from her seat Morgana waked around the table to stand directly before the Spirit. After a brief moment Morgana did something she had never done before:

She put her face to the floor and begged.

"Please," she started, tears beginning to fall from her face as she spoke. "I know that I have done many horrible things in my short time alive. I know that I am not deserving of second chances; but someone I care for is dying and there is no other way to save him. _Please_, whatever you want from me I will oblige. Just don't let Merlin die because of my mistakes." The spirit looked down at Morgana with an uncomfortable expression as he looked from the begging Morgana to the Phoenix upon his shoulder. When the Phoenix made a sort of prmming noise the spirit sighed in relief as he looked down at Morgana.

"There is one chance for you Morgana, but you will have to do something immensely difficult that magic will not be able to aid you in."

"Anything," Morgana said instantly shooting up from the ground.

"Very well," the spirit said opening a white portal besides him.

"Where are we going?" Morgana asked.

"Into the veil,"


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35: Morgana's Trials

Morgana floated on her own for who knew how long in the veil, the mere thought of her actually being there was still too much for her to accept. She could feel the pure energy literally floating around her, almost begging her to give it shape. As she floated she saw three dark shadows approach her, from their form and bestial appearance Morgana assumed them to be demons of Wrath, the weakest in the demon hierocracy. They approached her while laughing vehemently through their ever changing bestial forms, planning on how to make a conquest over this seemingly weak prey. Using nothing but the power surrounding her she unleashed a blast of white fire at the demons causing them to recoil and flee at the sight of her power.

_Cowards,_ she thought to herself as she felt another presence approach from behind. She quickly turned with her hands aglow only for them to be grabbed and held downwards by a white glowing figure.

"_Careful," _the familiar voice warned her. "_While calling on the magic of the veil will make you stronger it will attract more powerful demons towards you. It would be wise if you resisted using magic while here."_

"Is this your true form?" Morgana asked looking at the glowing figure. It was the form of a magical creature Morgana had only seen in books that were called Sylvans, trees that had spirits trapped into them and unwilling to escape from their wooden prison.

"_No,"_ the spirit said calmly. "_This is the form I usually take while I protect the land I inhabit. My original form is now lost to me due to my travel to the mortal realm."_

"I think I understand," Morgana observed. "But you still haven't told me why you brought me beyond the veil." The spirit said nothing at first merely waving his hand to summon forth land. Instantly a path formed beneath them as they floated to stand on the solid footing.

"_Follow me,"_ he said gently. As they walked for what could have been centuries Morgana asked a rather simple question.

"You never did tell me what to call you, do you have a name?"

"_Not in the way you humans give names,"_ the spirit said. "_Beyond the veil only demons have names they pick themselves, hoping to seem more mundane when they try to deal with mortals. Spirits are simply referred to by the virtue they stand for; in my case I would be called Protection among my fellow spirits."_

"Never had a nickname then?" Morgana asked. The spirit chuckled as he shook the top base of his trunk which Morgana took as his head.

"_No I'm afraid, most people do not give appropriate names to malevolent powers beyond their understanding, but what I am called is not the purpose for the trip."_ The spirit said looking down towards Morgana. "_The reason behind this trip is to cleanse the darkness from your soul so that the Phoenix will not consider you a threat."_

"And how do we do that?" Morgana asked gravely.

"_The main reasons for you becoming the way you were are strongly based on what other people around you did. Due to several key figures in your past they were able to intensify the once dormant darkness that still has a strong hold over your soul."_ Morgana stopped walking as she looked over to the spirit who stopped walking once he realized Morgana had stopped following him.

"You mean to tell me that you still find me a threat? That even though I've done my best to change myself you still think me a monster, is that it?" The spirit sighed and turned around to face Morgana fully.

"_That was not my intention Morgana. No, I do not think you are a monster and the fact that you_ have _attempted to reform is one of the main reasons you are to be trialed. Do you think, that you would have begged for a chance to save Merlin if you were the same witch who once tried to rule Camelot?"_ The spirit's words stung Morgana but they were true nonetheless. She supposed that her trying to reform wasn't the same as truly reforming.

"I'm sorry for losing my temper," Morgana apologized. "I am still trying to forgo many bad habits from my past and my quickness to think the worst is one of them."

_"And the fact that you can admit that proves that you are reforming Morgana,"_ the spirit said encouragingly as he put his rooted hands on Morgana's shoulders kindly. He then proceeded to gesture for them to continue along on the formed path.

"So what exactly do I have to do to reform?" Morgana asked curiously.

"_In order for you to truly reform and make amends for all of your sins you must approach those that have hurt you the most in life and either receive or give forgiveness base on their part in your life."_ The notion of seeing anyone Morgana had hurt like that or had hurt her in the past was not an appealing thought.

"But those people are probably mostly dead," Morgana argued.

"_Here beyond the Veil not only lies Spirits and Demons but also the souls of the dead. It is here where you will meet the deceased souls of former friends and enemies. It will be very difficult and your magic will be of no use to you."_ Morgana breathed uneasily as she thought of the countless amounts of people she could have wronged or wronged her, would she even have enough time to make amends to them all?

"How many are there?" Morgana asked.

"_Five,"_ the spirit said simply surprising Morgana by the amount, with her record she would have expected at least a dozen or so. After traveling in silence for a while longer the spirit stopped and raised his hands again, summoning a basin like crevice to form before them no more than several feet deep with a small altar of what appeared to be stone appearing from its center.

"_We will start when you are ready Morgana."_ The spirit said gently, but his tone changed to a tighter one as he continued to speak. "_But know that once we have started the cleansing ritual you must meet with each of the spirits continuously without stop. Are you sure you want to do this?" _

"If it means saving Merlin then yes, I'll do whatever it takes."

"_Very well,"_ the spirit replied. It then raised its hands and began singing a wordless hymn that seemed to draw on the power surrounding them to do his bidding. As Morgana watched the energy form around her into the basin she knew that it must be some kind of spell the spirit was doing. Her thoughts were interrupted however by a glowing figure appearing before her upon the altar the spirit had made. Morgana's heart fluttered at the sight of the form before her and she felt a small smile form at her lips. He looked the way he had before he had rejoined her, clad in the armor of a knight of Camelot. The only difference being the golden glow that surrounded him.

"Hello Mordred," Morgana said sadly.

"_Hello Milady,"_ Mordred replied with a small smile. They were silent for a few moments, nothing but the sound of the spirit's singing making any noise. It was then that Mordred finally spoke up.

"_What became of the battle?"_ the young man asked. Morgana hesitated for a moment, trying to think of a way to lie to Mordred but then realized that that would be against the entire point of trying to reform herself.

"We lost the battle," she said gently. "Merlin appeared and assimilated our troops and sent Aithusa away from the battle." Mordred frowned at this and fidgeted uneasily.

"_And Arthur?"_ he asked almost pleadingly. Morgana closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Your final strike was fatal and I believe I was the cause for his death." At hearing this the Druid boy smiled brightly. "_Then it wasn't all for nothing then was it?"_ Morgana shook her head sadly.

"No, Mordred, what we did was wrong."

"_What do you mean?"_ Mordred asked confused. "_We killed Arthur and crippled Camelot, this is what you wanted!"_

"And now I wish it had never happened," Morgana admitted sadly causing the Druid to flinch.

"_Why?"_ Mordred asked in confusion.

"Because I was wrong Mordred," Morgana admitted. "I was blinded by darkness and was willing to do whatever it took to bring Camelot to its knees. But I was wrong; my way of ruling did no good, in fact the only thing I was able to do was cause those close to me pain and anguish. Including you, Mordred." She wiped at her eyes feeling them moisten slightly as she looked back at Mordred who seemed shock by Morgana's confession.

"Mordred everything that's happened to you since we met is my fault," Morgana said sadly. "If it wasn't for me clouding everyone's mind with magic you could have remained a knight in Camelot, you could have continued to serve happily, Kara could have still been alive." At the sound of her name Mordred seemed to recoil as if being whipped. "Mordred I am so sorry for possibly ruining your entire life. If nothing else is accomplished by our meeting I want you to know that." The two were silent for a moment but after a while Mordred reached out a glowing hand and gently brushed away the tears beginning to fall down Morgana's cheek.

"_I never blamed you for any of that Morgana,"_ Mordred admitted. "_But to hear you say all of that, it leads me to believe that things are better now?"_

"They were," Morgana said with a sad smile. "But it would seem I made a mess of things again."

"_Then go and make things right,"_ Mordred encouraged. "_And know that I will stand beside you in death; and for what it's worth, I forgive you Morgana." _ As soon as the last four words left his lips Morgana felt as if a great weight had been removed from her being. Mordred's spirit dissipated soon after and the spirit's song changed to one of a completely different tune. As the melody changed a new form appeared on the altar, but unlike before with Mordred Morgana was not pleased to see this form and scowled when his form solidified.

"Father," she said with a dry cold tone. The form of Uther Pendragon seemed to have a neutral stoic look as he looked toward Morgana.

"_I had once dreamed happily of the day you could call me that freely,"_ Uther admitted dryly. "_But now that I hear it all I hear is the pure resentment you have for me."_

"And can you blame me?" Morgana demanded. "Everything that you've done?"

"_What I did was for the greater good of Camel-"_

"I don't mean what you did as King you ignorant fool!" Morgana said angrily. She had to admit that it felt good to be able to speak bluntly to the former King, and she could tell he didn't enjoy it. "I mean what you did as a _father_ and to your supposed best friend!" Uther's expression became distraught as he thought back to Gorlois.

"Did he know?" Morgana asked.

"_Did who know?" _Uther asked absently. Morgana clenched her fists in anger and could feel tears forming again from her eyes. "Did Gorlois know I was another man's daughter?" Uther was silent and it was tearing Morgana apart. "ANSWER ME!" She finally shouted.

"_He had suspicions,"_ Uther finally admitted after what seemed an eternity. "_He knew his wife's pregnancy didn't add up with the time he had last seen her."_

"And you didn't tell him," Morgana accused angrily.

"_What should I have told him?"_ Uther demanded angrily. "_That his wife and I were having an affair? That his daughter was of my blood?"_

"You should have told him the truth!" Morgana retorted angrily. "He was your best friend and you took advantage of his trust,"

"_I was his king,"_ Uther said defensively.

"And a lot of good you did as one," Morgana did, purposely striking at Uther's pride. "Because you were ignorant of magic and wouldn't admit to your wife's death to be your fault you spent decades ruining the lives of hundreds, if not _thousands_ of innocent people."

"_They had magic, they were far from innocent,"_ Uther argued.

"I had magic," Morgana said plainly. "The whole time _I had magic_ and I lived in the castle right under your nose as your ward; and I was the only one who would have been deemed guilty."

"_If I had known,"_ Uther stopped mid speech, not wanting to continue where he was going with his form of speech. Unfortunately for him Morgana knew what it was he was about to say.

"You'd have what? Killed me? Killed your own daughter like the hundreds of innocent men and women you killed, the lives you ruined!"

"_Morgana please!"_ Uther pleaded desperately. _"I am very well aware of my sins, even in death they continue to haunt me without relent. I admit to have been a cruel and unjust king and to of being a horrible father; but please Morgana, forgive me so that I may finally be at peace. For it was your declare of hate for me that finally showed me my errors."_ Morgana stared at the once proud king now begging her for forgiveness so that he could rest in peace. Every part of Morgana wanted to forsake him and have him continue his torment.

"I…" she had to swallow hard and bite back every instinct in her body to curse at him. "I forgive you," she finally managed to say. She felt the same uplifting sensation as before when Mordred had forgiven her but this time it was harder for Morgana to do. She worried how hard it would be for her to finish the final three of her trials. When the third form before her appeared her eyes widened in horror as she stepped back in fear.

"_Well well, even after death I'm destined to find you,"_ Sarrum said morbidly as he eyed Morgana cruelly.

"You," Morgana whispered as she suddenly felt the scars Sarrum had inflicted on her burning in his presence.

"_I must say I am upset I didn't get to find you again, to catch a Dragon and a High Priestess and keep them imprisoned is enough to make any King proud. But you had the cunning to escape; I blame myself for… not keeping a more watchful eye,_" he said with a leer.

"You're a monster," Morgana said as she shuddered from the memories of her two year imprisonment in Sarrum's dungeon. "The nightmares of what you've done to me and Aithusa still haunt me."

"_And yet here you are calling upon me after my death, shat was it? Did you fancy another go?"_ Sarrum mocked with a lecherous laugh that caused Morgana to recoil from the sudden memory.

"Shut up!" Morgana demanded as she wrapped her arms tightly around her waist closing her eyes tightly as she tried to shake the memory out of her head. Sarrum laughed menacingly as he reached out a hand to stroke Morgana's form, however unlike when Mordred touched her his hand was stopped by a magical blast that sent him back on the altar. Morgana continued holding herself, trying to clear her mind of the painful memories she had tried to block from her mind since she escaped. She was interrupted however by Sarrum speaking up again.

"_Unfortunate that I be killed due to magic instead of real skill, the one thing a real man should be killed by."_ Morgana frowned and opened her eyes to look at Sarrum uneasily.

"I was under the impression that you were shot by your own man," Morgana said carefully. Sarrum scowled and waved away Morgana's implication.

"_I may be dead but I'm still able to learn how I died. Shortly after my passing the knight who shot me informed me that a young man used magic to throw a knife at him and change his aim at me at the last moment."_ Morgana's mood lightened at hearing that and she silently sent a thank you to Merlin for killing Sarrum. Sarrum saw Morgana's slightly improved mood and frowned.

"_What are you smiling about?" _he demanded. Morgana shook her head with a small smile as she managed to recompose herself.

"Sarrum it goes without saying that you are a horrible, cruel, vindictive man; but I want you to know that while I will never forget what you've done to me I will forgive you."

"_Forgive me?"_ Sarrum said angrily, his eyes now glowing red to Morgana's surprise_. "I don't want your forgiveness! I want you dead!"_ At that moment Sarrum's form changed to that of a large demon that easily towered over her and now no longer secluded to the area of the altar. As he swung his now massive spiked hand at Morgana she had no time to react when the Spirit of Protection stepped before her and held back the attack with a single hand. Once it had made contact with Sarrum the demon began to hiss angrily as it was forced away as it dissipated into smoke.

"What happened?" Morgana asked the spirit. It didn't reply as it was busy performing the next melody of the ritual. Morgana supposed she would have to get her answers once she was done. As the fourth form appeared Morgana felt slightly uneasy at her appearance but not as much as Sarrum's had.

"_Hello Sister,"_ Morgause said gently. "_It is good to see you well."_

"Forgive me if I find that hard to believe," Morgana said coolly.

"_Why wouldn't you believe me? I have always cared for your wellbeing,"_

"Is that why you lied to me? Used me for your own personal gain?"

"_Sister,"_ Morgause started but Morgana wasn't ready to concede.

"Tell me; were you really contempt to leave me on the throne? Or were you planning to kill me when I no longer proved useful?" Morgause was silent for a few moments before finally deciding to speak up.

"_There was never any reason for me to take the crown from you. Cenred's army was loyal only to me and I was loyal to you. As long as it had stayed that way everything would have been perfect."_

"So you'd have betrayed me then?" Morgana asked frustrated. Her emotions were running ragged and she was finding it difficult to keep her form composed.

"_Not willingly, but if you decided to stray from our goals I'd have had no choice,"_

"What goals?" Morgana demanded. "We had already captured Camelot. If you hadn't been mortally wounded by Gaius's attack we would have stayed in power!"

"_The old man did not mortally wound me,"_ Morgause insisted, pride injured. "_While my attention was on him after his attack Emrys recovered enough to strike at me with magic."_ Morgana was shocked for a moment to hear that Merlin had been the one to wound Morgause but another thought crossed her mind.

"You knew?" she started angrily. "You knew that Merlin was Emrys and never told me?"

"_It was only at that moment,"_ Morgause insisted. "_And there was little you could have done at that moment with your level of skill at the time."_

"You could have saved me years of suffering if you had told me!" Morgana said angrily her voice rose almost to a shout. "I could have been successful at conquering Camelot the second time!"

"_But sister you still can!"_ Morgause exclaimed. "_You summoned a Greater Demon's spirit into the world, you have a spirit at your call that can be corrupted; unleash their power unto Camelot and control can finally be yours!"_

"No," Morgana said immediately, causing Morgause to gape in shock.

"_What do you mean no?"_ she demanded.

"I no longer wish to rule Camelot; I have learned that had I succeeded it would have brought more harm than good to the world. I am content in the way things are and will not change my mind."

"_You fool,"_ Morgause cursed. "_After everything I've done for you you've given up on our plans to-"_

"Your plans Morgause," Morgana interrupted. "It was always what you wanted and I was just blinded by my need to be accepted. I forgive you for what you did to me because you are my sister, but I never want to see you again," Before Morgause could say anything else her form was taken away in an instant at Morgana's wish. As she stood there wiping at her eyes she prepared herself for her final meeting, and she knew who it would be before he appeared. When his form was summoned to the altar Morgana smiled sadly as she looked at the man as he was years ago before he became King and when they were friends.

"Hello Arthur," she said sadly.

"_Hello Morgana," _he replied with a small smile. "_It's been awhile,"_ Morgana found herself laughing as she shook her head.

"I'm sorry; I've been having a rough day."

"_Understandable considering where we are," _Arthur said looking around the veil. They were surrounded by an awkward silence before Arthur final spoke up.

"_I'm guessing there's a reason for out little visit? Not necessarily a proper place for a social call,"_

"No its not," Morgana agreed. "There's something I need to tell you, it's just hard for me to say."

"_You don't have to say it; I already know what you're going to say,"_

"You do?" Morgana asked surprised.

"_Yes, and I refuse to admit that you bested me in swordplay those 8 years ago."_ Morgana stared at him absently for a moment before the two broke out into laughter at the memory.

"I haven't thought about that in years," Morgana admitted.

"_I know it was easier back then. When we were still friends." _Morgana's smile vanished as she looked away in shame.

"Look Arthur… I'm-"

"_You really don't have to say it," _Arthur insisted. "_I never blamed you."_

"Why not?" Morgana demanded.

"_I know now that you suffered watching Uther kill all those people not just because it was wrong, but because you had magic to. Seeing him treat others of your kind like that couldn't have been easy. But I know how things have changed in Camelot, and I know that you've changed. I forgive you for what you did Morgana,"_ Morgana smiled gratefully as she embraced Arthur.

"Thank you Arthur, that means a great deal to me."

"_Of course,"_ Arthur replied as his form began to fade away. "_But two more things before I leave. First: if you're going to be romantically involved with Merlin, make sure he knows if he ever hurts you I'll come back as a ghost to run him in." _Morgana smiled as she wiped away a tear falling from her eyes.

"And the second thing?" she asked. She could tell even through Arthurs deteriorating form that he was sporting a coy grin.

"_I didn't trip over a root when I was fell 8 years ago, you knocked me to the ground with the hilt of your sword."_ Morgana found herself laughing as tears began to flow down her face again, but this time they were tears of joy as she watched her brother fade away from view. Once he was gone the spirit finished singing and released a sigh of exhaustion. He approached Morgana and looked down at her expectantly.

"_How do you feel?" _He asked gently. Morgana looked up at him and smiled as she wiped away at her tear streaked cheeks.

"Better, a lot better in fact. Better than I've felt in years." She frowned for a moment as she recalled what happened to Sarrum. "Why did Sarrum change into a demon? Did he make a deal with one or something?" The spirit shook his head sadly.

"_No. When a mortal dies how they appear beyond the veil may change due to how they acted. Sarrum was a man greedy for power and intent to cause pain and suffering to others; in such he turned into a demon of Greed, no longer truly the man who once tormented him."_ The spirit then put a comforting hand on Morgana's shoulder. "_But let us not talk of such things; you have completed a great thing in ridding yourself of your past corruptions."_

"So the Phoenix will provide me a tear now?" Morgana asked excitedly.

"_Yes it is on its way to Merlin's position awaiting our arrival."_

"Then what are we waiting for?" Morgana said determined. "Let's get out of here so I can portal back to Merlin."

"_You mustn't use the dark crystal anymore," _the spirit warned sternly.

"Why not?" Morgana asked. "It's safe isn't it?"

"_No,"_ the spirit said immediately._ "While you are immune to a demon possessing you while you use it it brings out the darkest qualities of your person. That is one of the reasons the Phoenix would not approach you. If you continue to use it you will become a paranoid witch who is obsessed with controlling the darkness."_

"But if I can't portal back how will I make it back in time to save Merlin?"

"_Worry not,"_ the spirit said assuringly. "_We shall travel through the veil."_


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 36: A Long Anticipated Reunion

As Morgana and the Spirit of Protection traveled through the realm beyond the veil Morgana couldn't help but look in awe at what no living mortal had ever seen before. The land was ever changing, never the same form for more than a few moments: it would start as a forested area and then change to an open ocean.

"How is it that the land changes so quickly?" Morgana asked the spirit. The spirit looked around them as if it hadn't noticed the change before looking down at Morgana.

"_The land here is pure magic, changing to whatever shapes Spirits in the area wish it to be."_

"But for what purpose?" Morgana asked confused, the Spirit shrugged.

"_It pleases them I suppose; Spirits do not normally have the desire to cross the veil like demons do. They are content controlling the world they inhabit to whatever pleases them."_

"So anyone with enough power could change the land?" Morgana asked curiously.

"_No, only Spirits and Demons,"_ the Spirit told a now disappointed Morgana. Before she could ask another question they stopped traveling and the Spirit lifted Morgana up and hid her in the crevice of its trunk.

"What are you-"

"_Be silent,"_ the Spirit warned. Seconds later black figures traveled past them in a rushed hurry seemingly cackling excitedly as they progressed towards their goal. Moments later large bear like creature slowly walked beside the tree Spirit of Protection and looked at it curiously.

"_Ah a Spirit of Protection, have you come to protect the light then?" _the creature asked.

"_What do you mean protect the light?"_ the Spirit asked in a calm, neutral voice. The bear like creature made a sound that sounded like a roar and a yawn mixed together.

"_So you haven't heard then?"_ the creature asked. "_Apparently a Sorcerer of great power has accidentally crossed over the veil and is trying to protect himself."_ Morgana froze as she heard the creatures words, the sorcerer had to be Merlin!

"_Why would a Demon of Sloth have any wish to battle a Sorcerer?" _the Spirit asked curiously. "_Surely that is too much of an effort for you to exert,"_

"_Mrmmh, as true as that is I believe an exception is to be made considering who is guarding it._ The demon bear proclaimed.

"_Who is guarding it?"_ the Spirit asked curiously.

"_A Greater Demon if you'd believe it, but apparently he didn't care enough to fully arrive and sent only his corporeal form. He's been fighting for a while now and I believe he is about to dissipate soon."_ Morgana couldn't believe what she was hearing and had to control her breathing as to not give away her position to the demon. The Spirit seemed to sense Morgana's fear and lowered its self to look the demon in its eyes.

"_Perhaps this is the wrong soul for you to corrupt, yes?"_ the Spirit suggested without raising its voice. The demon growled slightly, a true growl with no combined yawn, before collapsing on the ground before the Spirit.

"_So be it then,"_ the Sloth Demon said tiredly. "_I doubt I'd have gotten anywhere near the Sorcerer with all the others trying to reach him; and he's far too powerful to make it a simple transition. I suppose I'll wait for the next soul to travel amiss."_

"_A wise decision,"_ the Spirit said picking himself up as he traveled away from the demon. Once they were out of range the Spirit let Morgana out of its crevice where she turned to it in a panic.

"That has to be Merlin! How long have we been beyond the veil? I know time fluctuates differently." The Spirit shifted as he tried to guess how long they'd been gone.

"_Roughly two days,"_ the Spirit said warily.

"We have to hurry back; you need to bring me back to the mortal realm!"

"_We are already close to your destination Morgana,"_ the Spirit said worriedly. He pointed one of its rooted gnarled fingers towards the open space and soon a long, tangled black mist surrounding a diming light. Morgana wasn't able to see the light but she recognized the demon immediately.

"Roku," she said in worried tone. She turned to the Spirit and asked frantically, "How long does he have?" The Spirit shook his head sadly as he approached Morgana.

"_Not long I'm afraid."_

"We have to hurry then!" Morgana said hurriedly. As she turned to run towards the Greater Demon the Spirit grabbed her shoulder.

"_You must listen,"_ the Spirit said frantically. "_There are hundreds of demons encircling Emrys and the Greater Demon; we will not be able to sneak by."_

"Then we fight," Morgana said sternly looking up at the Spirit.

"_If you use magic you will draw more powerful demons to the area,"_ the Spirit warned.

"What about you then?" Morgana demanded. "You're a Spirit aren't you? Surely you should be able to make a path for me?"

"_It's not that simple," _the Spirit protested.

"Why not?" Morgana demanded.

"_Spirits are not immortal Morgana, like demons and mortals we can be killed. It is simply difficult to do so." _Morgana frowned and looked back towards the presence of Roku.

"I didn't come this far just to quit now," Morgana said angrily. "If you won't help me I'll fight my way through myself." After a moment of hesitation the Spirit sighed and pulled a length of branch from its wooden rib cage and handed it to Morgana.

"_Very well, I will aid you as best I can. This staff will help hide your magic while you use it, when you approach the Greater Demon slam the staff upon it and the two of you will be returned to the mortal realm."_

"What about the Phoenix and Merlin?" Morgana asked.

"_The Phoenix will be awaiting you when you arrive, simply tell it who you wish to heal."_ Morgana nodded and gripped the staff she'd been given heavily. After taking a deep breath she ran into the horde of demons followed by the Spirit behind her. As they approached the demons must have sensed Morgana's presence for they turned around as she approached; before they had the chance to strike though they were taken out by roots that appeared from the ground. Morgana then raised her staff and with a glow of her eyes sent a ball of fire into a cluster of demons. As they roared out in pain and dissipated more immediately took their place, some to get closer to Merlin's spirit while others approached Morgana. As several fire lit demons leapt out at Morgana she swung her staff at them knocking them to the ground but not destroying them. To give her some breathing room she summoned a tornado to sweep away the weaker demons and weaken the more powerful of the batch.

However even with the combined might of the Spirit there seemed to be too many demons for them to handle. As they struggled to fight their way through Morgana was knocked down by a demon that resembled the form that Sarum took when he tried to kill her. Before either she or the demon had time to react the demon was struck by a blast of dark fire causing it to dissipate in a fit of screams.

"_**Morgana, dare I say that you're a sight for sore eyes,"**_ Roku complimented; though he spoke calmly Morgana could tell the Greater Demon was exhausted.

"How's Merlin?" Morgana asked worriedly.

"_**What, not worried about me? Morgana I'm wounded."**_ At seeing Morgana's un amused expression he sighed in defeat. "_**He's weak and won't be able to last the day, I assume you found the Phoenix yes?"**_

"It's on its way to heal Merlin now,"

"_**Really?"**_ Roku asked not bothering to mask his surprise in Morgana's success. "_**Well as fine as that is how do we intend to exit the veil? I'm afraid I don't have the necessary power to take us both."**_

"I've got that covered," Morgana assured him. As she rose the staff to slam it upon Roku's side she was immediately jerked back by a powerful force sending her far out of Roku's reach while also losing a grip on the wooden staff.

"_Morgana!" _ She heard the Spirit shout out in terror as it batted aside two wrath demons while trying to reach her. When Morgana opened her eyes she was on her back with a large hand holding her down by her waist, when she looked up she paled in fear as she saw the demonic form of Sarum holding her down. The demon/Sarum let loose a blood curdling howl before looking down at Morgana again with a hateful blood lust filled stare.

"_**DID YOU THINK THAT MY DEATH WOULD PROTECT YOU FROM ME?"**_ Sarum demanded as he pressed Morgana harder into the ground causing her to scream out in pain. Sarum let loose another blood curdling laugh as he continued to squeeze the life out of Morgana.

"_**THERE'S NO DRAGON TO SAVE YOU THIS TIME WITCH, JUST YOU AND ME!" **_Sarum shouted gleefully. Morgana struggled under his grip trying to free one of her hands but his grip was to strong and she could feel her bones cracking from the pressure. Just as Sarum rose one of his spiked hands above his head to strike down at Morgana he froze as he heard a humming sound that Morgana found familiar. She looked back to see the Spirit of Protection (surrounded by the dissipating corpses of demons) humming as he did when he summoned the souls of the fallen for Morgana to speak to. Just then Sarum recoiled in pain as he dropped Morgana none to gently on the ground. Morgana raised her head to see the form of Mordred pulling his sword out of Sarum's back. She then felt another hand on her, a gentler one, as it slowly lifted her onto her feet. Morgana looked back and saw that it was Arthur helping her back on her feet.

"_There isn't much time," _Arthur warned her as he handed her the staff she had dropped. "_Hurry and get out, we'll keep the demons and Sarum busy."_ Morgana had no time to argue as Arthur pushed her off towards Roku. As she ran she saw Sarum forced back by Mordred who was using magic to hold the Greed Demon at bay. As Morgana finally made it towards Roku she quickly raised the staff and slammed it on Roku's side. The Greater Demon roared out in pain as he was quickly dissipated into a dark black smoke that flew upwards at incredible speed. At the same time Morgana found herself forced upwards with Roku at the same impressive speeds. As they traveled upwards the Spirit of Protection along with Mordred and Arthur made a line in front of Merlin's dimming soul preparing to interfere any demons who would try to reach him. Arthur looked over to Mordred and gave him a small smile.

"_Will you fight with me?"_ he asked calmly. Mordred nodded and raised his sword and pointed it at the oncoming horde of demons.

"_Even in death my King,"_

_Mortal Realm_

A giant burst of energy flowed through the area surrounding Roku's body. As the black mist quickly entered the still form a portal was ripped seemingly from midair as Morgana's body was forced through it. Kilgharrah stared down in shock at the display of power and took several steps back to avoid contact with the magic. When Morgana eventually rose from the ground she looked in the sky frantically for something.

"_Did you succeed?"_ the Dragon demanded of the witch. Morgana ignored him as she continued to look around frantically. Suddenly she heard a cawing sound that seemed to bring a warm twinge to the area around them. Morgana looked up and smiled in relief to see the Phoenix quickly but gently onto her shoulder. Morgana, not wasting any time, turned and quickly pointed to Merlin's cold form; not waiting for a demand the Phoenix flew to Merlin's side. The beautiful red bird looked down at the dying warlock and closed its eyes. When its eyes opened several golden tears began to fall from its eyes into Merlin's mouth. As the process continued Kilgharrah stared in awe at what was taking place.

"_In all my existence I have never once met a Phoenix willing to part with its tears, and now that I have I cannot help but fear that it is not enough."_ After a few minutes the Phoenix lifted its head away from Merlin and looked up at Morgana almost apologetically.

"No," Morgana said in a whisper not wanting to believe that she had failed. "Do it again," she asked the Phoenix. The Phoenix let out a distressing caw that broke Kilgharrah's heart, he knew the bird had declared it had done all it had. He knew that Morgana understood this to but refused to accept it. Morgana went over to Merlin's side and tried shaking him awake in hopes the mundane gesture would be enough.

"Merlin? Merlin! Please Merlin wake up." When Merlin failed to awake Morgana could stay composed no longer as she broke down and started crying on his chest. Kilgharrah watched in silence at the heart moving scene as Roku's body finally began moving again. The Greater Demon's vessel arose abruptly and began coughing violently to try and recover from his trip beyond the veil.

"_**Don't everyone get up on my account,"**_ Roku said sarcastically as he awoke with no one around. When he turned he saw the sight of Morgana crying on Merlin's chest while Kilgharrah looked down, sadness imminent in the Dragon's eyes. He also noticed the Phoenix perched on a tree above the two humans looking away in shame at the sight before it.

"_**So the bird failed did it?"**_ Roku asked bluntly. Morgana scowled amidst her tears and sent a jet of fire at the Greater Demon causing him to stumble back more from surprise then pain.

"Shut up!" Morgana spat at the demon. Roku waited for Morgana to continue her tirade of furry but it did not come. Morgana simply responded by putting Merlin' limp head in her lap. She continued crying as her tears fell upon Merlin's face and chest.

"I'm sorry," Morgana said in between her fits of tears. "I'm so sorry for everything Merlin: for deceiving you, for using you, for ever thinking you weren't there for me." Kilgharrah prrmd sadly at the sight as he lowered his wings at the sight of his dead lord. Morgana continued crying as she continued to apologize for everything she'd ever done to him.

"I'm so sorry Merlin, I'm sorry that you felt responsible for what I had become, and I'm sorry for blaming you as well. No one has ever been there for me like you had and I'm sorry it took this long for me to realize that." Morgana brought her forehead down to touch his as she whispered in an almost inaudible voice,

"I forgive you,"

As if by magic a golden glow began to surround Merlin, Morgana noticed this immediately but did not leave Merlin's side; Kilgharrah also seemed in awe at the sight while Roku merely seemed disgusted by the pure magic at work. Before Morgana's eyes all of Merlin's scars and wounds given to him by the chains in Camelot's dungeons began to disappear before her very eyes. When the golden glow finally receded Merlin began to stir slightly as if being disturbed during an enjoyable dream.

"Merlin?" Morgana called out hopefully at the stirring Warlock. Seconds later his eyes lazily lifted open as he slowly moved his eyes around the area, taking time to look at Kilgharrah and Roku before finally stopping at Morgana's tear stained face. With a small smile and the widening of his eyes Merlin attempted moving his head up while asking a simple question that caused Morgana to break out in a fit of happy tears.

"What did I miss?"

AN: Now if this was still a tv Series this would be where the Season ends. Lucy for you guys I'm not that mean XD. Please leave me a review on what you thought of the chapter and I'll have the next one up ASAP, so until then.


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter 37: A Hidden Truth

With a small smile and the widening of his eyes Merlin attempted moving his head up while asking a simple question that caused Morgana to break out in a fit of happy tears.

"What did I miss?"

"Merlin!" Morgana shouted out happily as she lunged awkwardly over Merlin's head to kiss him firmly and passionately. When she realized the angle they were at was awkward she immediately raised Merlin's upper body closer to her while she continued kissing him with furious passion. Merlin did his best to return Morgana's affection but was still exhausted from his previous 'condition', Morgana didn't seem to mind however and seemed perfectly happy to have Merlin back in her arms. She finally released her lips from Merlin's as she rested her forehead gently onto his.

"Don't ever do something like that again," Morgana pleaded.

"What save your life?" Merlin teased gently. "I can't promise that at all." They chuckled warmly followed by a chuckle far deeper than either of their own that caused Merlin to look up in disbelief.

"Kilgharrah?" Merlin said in shocked amazement.

"_It has been far too long young warlock; it is good to see you again." _Merlin smiled at the sight of his old friend as he turned to look back at Morgana.

"How is this possible?" Merlin asked happily.

"It's kind of a long story," Morgana said warily. She hadn't wanted to explain everything that had happened yet, she wanted Merlin to have a chance to rest for a few days before they discussed it. Merlin looked around expectantly but frowned at the lack of familiar company.

"Where are Aithusa and Gorat? And who is he?" Merlin asked gesturing to Roku.

"Like I said, it's a long story," Morgana said sadly. So for the next several hours Morgana explained everything that had happened the last several days to Merlin: her visiting the Euchdag, releasing Roku's spirit to aid her in freeing Merlin, Gorat's death in giving them time to escape, Kilgharrah's temporary return, her journey to the Fisher King's territory and her visit beyond the veil; which Kilgharrah found very interesting. Merlin was saddened at hearing of Gorat's death and looked away sadly in memory.

"He didn't deserve to die like that," Merlin said sadly.

"I agree," Morgana said as she removed the leather bracelet from around her neck and handing it to Merlin. Merlin looked at it for a moment before giving it back to her.

"Keep it," he insisted. "He gave it to you after all," Morgana nodded and put it back around her neck.

"So how much time do you have left before the spell wears off?" Merlin asked Kilgharrah.

"_Roughly another day,"_ the Great Dragon admitted. "_Unfortunate seeing how dire the need in the living world is."_

"What do you mean?" Merlin asked. "The way Morgana explained it Marion was done in, if Gorat couldn't survive a blow like that then neither could she,"

"_**Yes but the problem is that Marion really **__**didn't**__** take the full brunt of the attack, her mortal vessel did,"**_ Roku said speaking for the first time since Merlin awoke.

"What is he talking about?" Merlin asked Kilgharrah. Morgana looked towards the Dragon as well, curious to the answer of Merlin's question. Kilgharrah sighed as he lied down in a comfortable position before answering Merlin.

"_While the demon is in possession of Marion's body, the actual demon is still across the veil,"_

"But I thought demons had to possess a sorcerer to cross the veil unless it was summoned," Morgana said curiously.

"_Not always; there are several ways for a demon to cross the veil without possessing a mortal sorcerer."_

"How many?" Merlin asked.

"_There are four that are the most successful,"_ Kilgharrah said quizzically. "_The first way and probably the most commonly attempted, is when a mortal reaches across the veil for the aid of a demon or spirit. They will eventually find one and willingly allow the demon into their mind in exchange for access to their power; while the sorcerer feels in control at first they will eventually lose control completely to the demon while still maintaining slight consciousness. The demon is in control of the body while never physically crossing the veil."_

"And that's what Marion did," Merlin said solemnly recollecting Henry's description of the demons arrival.

"_Correct," _Kilgharrah said dryly. "_The witch willingly called upon the demon to aid her as she lay dying due to Aithusa's attack. When they were joined together the demon was able to heal Marion and slowly take control of her body."_

"But she seems to have the same goals as before she joined with the demon, open the veil and summon demons to attack the mortal world," Merlin argued.

"_Oh she will definitely attempt to open the veil,"_ Kilgharrah assured him. "_But it won't be to release other demons; it will be to free herself."_

"What do you mean?" Morgana asked.

"_**The demon possessing Marion is doing so with its corporeal form, like how I'm controlling this body; its physical form will still be on the other side of the veil. If she can open a tear in the veil large enough her physical form can fuse with her corporeal form along with Marion's body giving her increased power almost that of a Greater Demon**_**."**

"Well that can't be good," Merlin said managing to sit up on his own, but still within arm's reach of Morgana.

"_Indeed,"_ Kilgharrah agreed. "_You are running out of time young Warlock, you must find a way to separate Marion from the demon before it is rejoined with its physical form."_

"But every time we kill her she seems to come back," Morgana argued. "How are we to defeat her?" Kilgharrah looked away in thought and shrugged absently.

"_Aside from killing the demon's physical form: I do not know,"_ Kilgharrah admitted.

"_**Words of wisdom from the mighty Dragon,"**_ Roku said with a sarcastic laugh. Kilgharrah growled and looked as if he was about to pounce at Roku before Merlin regained the Dragon's attention.

"So we need to wait for their forms to combine then?" he asked.

"_Absolutely not,"_ Kilgharrah said strictly. "_If the Demon is made whole again it will possess the powers of a Greater Demon. The last time a Greater Demon was loosed on the mortal world it wreaked havoc unopposed for 50 years."_

"What about the Dragon that defeated it?" Merlin asked. Kilgharrah seemed to jump at Merlin's question.

"_What?" _Kilgharrah asked warily.

"Alice told me about the last time a Greater Demon was released. It took three High Priests, three High Priestesses and a Dragon combined with a spirit. She said the Dragon may still yet live, it might be able to help us." Kilgharrah sighed morbidly as it looked down at Merlin with a defeated looking expression.

"_Merlin,"_ Kilgharrah said slowly. "_The Dragon you speak of is dead,"_

"How do you know?" Merlin asked.

"_Because he is me,"_ Merlin and Morgana looked up at Kilgharrah in shock while Roku turned around, now interested in the conversation.

"YOU were the Dragon?" Merlin asked in shock.

"_Yes,"_ Kilgharrah admitted sadly. "_It was almost an eon ago, the demon the Cailleach had summoned was on a mission to destroy and conquer the mortal world when it one day attacked a Dragon colony, my colony."_

"What happened?" Morgana asked.

"_We fought it; we were the only ones at the time with the power to; but not for the sake for the world, but for the sake of our people. Needless to say many of my kin were killed in the battle, including my mate Velanna."_ At the name Merlin's eyes glowed as the memories within him brought up a picture of a beautiful green Dragon.

"_I was heartbroken at the loss of my mate and I swore to kill the demon if it killed me."_

"So the Priests and Priestesses chose you for the ritual?" Morgana asked.

"_More or less,"_ Kilgharrah replied. "_The Priest and Priestesses, along with the aid of the Fisher King, summoned a Spirit of Faith from beyond the veil and convinced it to help us in the fight against the demon. It fused its essence within me giving me the power to defeat the demon; it was a long and hard battle."_

"Why didn't you ever tell me this?" Merlin asked.

"_Merlin… this was a war that took place long before your time, although now I regret not telling you before. To answer your suggestion: No, the Dragon from then cannot help you defeat Marion, not anymore anyway."_ The group sat in silence for a few moments unsure of what to say about the situation.

"So were doomed then?" Merlin asked surprising everyone.

"Merlin," Morgana started softly but Merlin cut her off.

"If we can't kill Marion now before she fuses with her physical form there's nothing we can do."

"_**There is one thing we can do,"**_ Roku said conversationally.

"_And what would that be?" _Kilgharrah asked skeptically.

"_**The blow your Golem managed to strike against Marion, while not enough to kill it, greatly weakened her. It will easily take at least a month before she is able to reform a physical vessel and even then it will be severely weakened. She will be hasty in wanting to summon her physical form."**_

"_Get to the point,"_ Kilgharrah demanded.

"_**My point,"**_ Roku said calmly shooting a cold look over to Kilgharrah, "_**Is that she will rush to summon her true form from across the veil and will make mistakes. When she opens the portal across the veil she will be unable to move until her bodies are joined together; that is when you strike. You kill her physical form before they join and her corporeal form will leave the girl's body."**_ Merlin and Morgana looked at one another before looking up at Kilgharrah.

"Would that work?" Merlin asked. Kilgharrah seemed to dislike the answer he gave but nodded regardless.

"_Possibly, but I wouldn't trust conventional means to kill it. I would use the blade I forged for Arthur to slay it."_

"I can't, I threw it in the Lake of Avalon after Arthur died. You yourself said it was for his hand only."

"I had Aithusa forge a sword for Mordred," Morgana said helpfully. "It should still be at his grave."

"_It was foolish of you to have Aithusa forge a sword in her breath,"_ Kilgharrah said scoldingly. "_Even more so to leave it somewhere where anyone could get to it."_

"Yes well that wasn't my biggest concern at the time," Morgana argued.

"Stop arguing," Merlin instructed looking at the two. "So we get the sword, wait for Marion to reappear and then kill her physical form."

"_**And then we all go to the tavern afterwards and celebrate by sacrificing virgins for my favor,"**_ Roku was ignored as the three continued speaking.

"I left the sword about a week's walk from here," Morgana informed them.

"_I can get us there faster,"_ Kilgharrah said standing to his full height.

"Do you have enough time?" Morgana asked?

"_For this task? Yes. It is the least I can do."_

"Then let us not wait," Merlin said as he struggled to his feet with Morgana's help. "We have work to do."


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter 38: A Proper Good Bye

It had taken only half a day for Kilgharrah to fly Merlin and Morgana to where Morgana had buried Mordred. As the Great Dragon circled the area Merlin's main worry was that someone would have already found and taken the sword giving them yet another problem to deal with. Fortunately as they landed Merlin saw that the blade remained planted in the ground where Morgana had put it. With Morgana's help Merlin dismounted Kilgharrah and walked toward Mordred's grave. Merlin weakly reached for the sword and, with a great effort, pulled it from the earth before them. Merlin observed the sword carefully, even though he could feel the dangerous power coursing through the blade, though the power within the blade was not the same as Arthur's and it was not nearly as well-crafted as the blade Gwen had given him. None the less Merlin knew the blade would suffice for its purpose. Kilgharrah seemed to growl as he looked upon the blade causing both Merlin and Morgana to turn back to look at the old Dragon in surprise.

"_That blade reeks of evil,"_ he said coldly. "_You had this blade crafted out of rage and greed and by an unskilled Dragon none the less,"_

"Things were different then," Morgana argued. "That was all I wanted back then,"

"_Indeed,"_ Kilgharrah scolded. "_Regardless the forging of this blade was a mistake that you are now responsible for Morgana Pendragon. It is now_ your_ responsibility to insure the blade never falls into the wrong hands."_ Morgana didn't say anything but nodded in acceptance. Merlin took a seat on the ground, still weak from his healing, as he looked up to Kilgharrah.

"Is there anything you can tell us about what we need to do? When Marion will be revived?" Kilgharrah closed his eyes for several moments and Merlin could feel the magic he was using and it almost over whelmed him. When he opened his eyes he seemed close to exhaustion.

"_The demon will have enough power to create a suitable form in one month's time. If it is as weakened as your pet demon says than it will not have the power to tear the veil on its own. So it will have to use a portal connecting the mortal realm and beyond the veil."_

"The Ruins of Cathbhadh?" Merlin asked doubtfully.

"The Ruins only open once a year, and that time has already passed," Morgana said pointedly.

"_That is true, the ruins can be used to open a door way once a year if the user has the Horn of Cathbhadh,"_

"So we're fine then, seeing how I have the horn," Merlin said holding his shrunken chest.

"_Not quite. The area around the ruins are very close to the borders of the veil, if someone from the other side were to rip a hole in the door way it would open for them."_

"Would she have enough power to do that?" Morgana asked.

"_Remember, the demon's physical form is still beyond the veil. While her corporeal form may not have enough energy on its own the aid of the physical self will."_

"So we have a month to prepare ourselves then," Merlin said tiredly.

"_No young Warlock, the two of _you_ have a month to prepare. I fear my time left in the mortal realm is coming to an end."_ To prove his point Kilgharrah's scales began to dissolve into smoke as Roku's spell began to wear off.

"I thought you said you had more time," Merlin argued as he struggled to stand. Kilgharrah chuckled as he looked down to Merlin.

"_Merlin, my time has come and gone twice now. This is the way it needs to be."_

"But I need you here, I need your help!" Merlin protested.

"_You have my knowledge young Warlock, you will always have my help if you need it."_

"It's not the same," Merlin pouted. Kilgharrah chuckled again as he shook his head.

"_Merlin you have done well without my aid this past year. Do not think for a moment that your success comes from me. It is up to you and Morgana to right the wrongs in the mortal realm now Merlin. I know that you will do everything in your power to defeat the demon and protect the land of Albion."_ Kilgharrah looked over to Morgana and frowned slightly at the sight of the witch.

"_I have aided you as you requested Morgana, in return you must promise me to watch over Merlin. He is the best chance this world has to survive."_

"I will," Morgana promised as she grabbed Merlin's hand. Kilgharrah looked towards Merlin again and spoke in a serious tone.

"_Merlin, I once told you that in Albion's darkest hour the once and future king would return. I do not believe however that this is that time. You mustn't rely on the aid of your king to return for this battle, the burden for this fight is yours."_ Kilgharrah's form began to further deteriorate as he smiled down at Merlin and Morgana.

"_It has been a privilege to have known you young warlock. The story we have been a part of will live long in the minds of man."_ With the Great Dragon's final words he fully disappeared in a fog of black mist as it revealed the sleeping form of Aithusa lying before them. Morgana turned to Merlin and was surprised to see that Merlin was crying.

"Is everything all right?" she asked worriedly. Merlin shook his head as he wiped at the tears forming at his eyes.

"It's just that I've already lost many of my friends, losing one for the second time isn't much easier." Morgana nodded and squeezed his hand affectionately.

"It isn't your burden alone Merlin. I'll stand by you until the end of this, no matter where it may take us." Before Merlin could respond he was tackled to the ground by an over excited white Dragon.

"Father!" she exclaimed excitedly. "You're alive!"

"Yes, and I'm also getting squished to death," he said jokingly. Morgana couldn't help but laugh as Aithusa continued to bounce on her father much to his discomfort. When she finally did get off of him and allow him to stand it was only so she could jump on him and wrap her wings around him in an affectionate hug.

"I was worried Father, I thought you were going to die," she admitted as tears began to form in her tears. Merlin remained strong as he hugged the Dragon back.

"But I didn't," he assured her. "And it's thanks to you and Morgana,"

"Mostly Morgana," Aithusa said as she finally relented and removed herself from Merlin's shoulders. "She was going crazy trying to find a way to save you."

"Oh really?" Merlin asked as he looked over to a now blushing Morgana.

"Well you know, it's hard to care for a Dragon on my own. I needed help," she lied obviously.

"I bet," Merlin said with a laugh. With night already approaching Morgana made the small group a fire while Aithusa went off to hunt, promising to bring something back for Merlin and Morgana. On her return she brought them several rabbits which they took to roasting over the fire. As the night progressed Merlin and Morgana were leaning on Aithusa's side as she slept while the two quietly ate their meals. After a few moments of silence Merlin finally sighed and looked over to Morgana.

"So what do we do now?" he asked. Morgana looked at him curiously and swallowed her rabbit before answering.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Well we've got at least a month to wait before Marion is revived and then who knows how long until she tries to combine with her physical form. What are we supposed to do until then?"

"What _you _need to do is rest and recovery. What you went through isn't a little thing."

"So what, we return to Camelot and wait then?" Merlin asked.

"Well technically we're fugitives," Morgana pointed out. "You broke me out of jail and they probably think your dead."

"Either way, I want to at least see Gaius before we face Marion. He deserves to know we're ok." Morgana nodded in agreement, not willing to deny him that. Her heart skipped a beat as he grabbed her hand.

"I never thanked you for saving my life," Morgana began to blush as she looked away trying to hide her face.

"Don't worry about it," she said. "You'd have done the same for me." Merlin grabbed her chin and forced her face to look at him.

"Thank you," he said appreciatively. Morgana continued to blush but she smiled.

"You're welcome," she said in almost a whisper. Their lips joined together and both of their worries were nonexistent at that moment. They didn't know how long they stayed like that, enwrapped in each other's embrace while lying on Aithusa's side nor did they care. However a sudden rustling of the bushes caused the both of them to act on reflex, separating from each other and sending a bolt of lightning and ball of fire at the rustling bush. When the smoke finally cleared they saw an un amused Roku glaring at them angrily.

"_**If this is how you two greet your friends it's no surprise why you have so many enemies,**_" the Greater Demon said sarcastically. The two laughed at the demon's expense, simply happy enough to have a moment of rest before duty called them back to defend the land of Albion.


End file.
